Postgraduate Associate positions in the Digital Ethics Center (DEC), Yale University
The Center for Digital Ethics (DEC) at Yale University, directed by Prof. Luciano Floridi, seeks to appoint full-time, Postgraduate Associates to join this multidisciplinary center newly established at Yale. We are eager to recruit and welcome candidates who add to the diversity of the Center.
Postgraduate Associate positions are intended for recent university/college graduates seeking additional research experience and training about the Governance, Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications (GELSI) of digital technologies before applying to graduate or professional school.
Areas of interests (in alphabetical order) are:
- computer science and its GELSI;
- computer games and their GELSI
- cyberwar, cyberconflicts, and their GELSI;
- data science and its GELSI;
- digital economy, especially the GELSI of blockchain, cryptocurrencies, Insurtech, DEFI, game theory and online behavior (e.g., digital advertisement, recommender systems), changing nature of work, gig economy, app economy, network effect;
- digital ethics, including computer ethics, cyber ethics, ethics of AI, information ethics, machine ethics; roboethics;
- e-art, digital art, new aesthetics, NFT, and their GELSI
- e-health, digital welfare, well-being, and their GELSI;
- HCI and its GELSI;
- human rights, human dignity, digital divide, UN SDG;
- information, disinformation, misinformation, deepfakes, fake news, censorship, propaganda, the future of journalism and media, and their GELSI
- law and regulations concerning digital technologies, especially AI and copyright, patent, IP, antitrust, AI auditing, AI legislation;
- network theory and its GELSI
- political science, especially digital democracy (e-democracy, democracy in digital society), agile governance, platform governance, digital geopolitics, digital sovereignty;
- smart cities, twin cities, digital urbanization, and their GELSI
- social data science, especially FAccT*ML issues;
- security (including dark web, ransomware, surveillance) and its GELSI;
- virtual reality, augmented reality, immersive reality, metaverse, XR, and their GELSI.
Training
The successful candidates will gain experience in all aspects of the research process, including training in GELSI analysis and problem-solving and project management. They will learn about critical issues in digital ethics, main theoretical frameworks, quantitative and qualitative methods, research project management, and collaborative, multidisciplinary procedures to develop research papers and conference presentations. They will have opportunities to collaborate with other members of the DEC, develop their own research projects, give presentations, and prepare for future academic work.
Mentoring
The successful candidates will be mentored by the director of the Center, Prof. Luciano Floridi, and assigned members of the DEC, to gain experience in the design, analysis, and development of research projects and related papers, meeting presentation, and time management.
Education and Position
The ideal candidate should be a recent graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in relevant fields, including, for example (the list is not exhaustive): anthropology, computer science, data science, economics, ethics, jurisprudence, mass media, philosophy, political science, psychology, sociology.
The position is envisaged to last two years, with an initial appointment of one year renewable upon satisfactory progress. The minimum compensation level is $3,167 per month or $38,000 per year (for more information see here).
To Apply
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis through 1 June 2023.
Please send application documents to Krystal Whittaker, PA to Prof. Luciano Floridi, at lucianofloridi.pa@gmail.com, using the subject line: “Postgraduate Applicant”, and including the following documents:
- cover letter, explaining your background and motivation for the position (2 pages maximum), including contact information for 2 referees;
- CV (maximum 3 pages); and
- an academic essay, transcript, or summary of courses and results, relevant to the activities of the DEC.
Please submit your materials as PDF files and name them LastName-FirstName.coverletter.pdf, LastName-FirstName.CV.pdf, and LastName-FirstName.proposal.pdf.)
Qualified applicants may be contacted to schedule an online interview and asked to submit two letters of recommendation.
ABOUT THE YALE CENTER FOR DIGITAL ETHICS
The Center for Digital Ethics (DEC) builds on Yale’s unique depth, breadth, and reach of scholarship in the humanities and social sciences to provide an internationally recognized hub for the study of the governance, ethical, legal, and social implications (GELSI) of digital technologies and their human, societal, and environmental impact. Strengths in other areas of the university—from the natural sciences, computer science, data science, and engineering to Yale’s unique array of professional schools—provide an essential and valuable complement. The DEC expands multidisciplinary opportunities at Yale and facilitates connections to other academic institutions, businesses, and government agencies. By bringing together a diverse community of stakeholders, the DEC implements three essential requirements for understanding the human, social, and environmental implications of digital technologies and for equitably and sustainably developing them: a firm footing in GELSI analysis and scholarship; the rigorous and scientific treatment of vital facets of digital technologies (from computer and data science to law and social sciences); and the ability to learn from, and influence, important societal endeavors outside academia (from policy- and law-making to business strategies). Digital technologies in general, and AI in particular, build on computer science, data science, and statistics, rely on human psychology and sociology, draw on insights from linguistics, literature, and philosophy, and call for new frameworks for governance, law, and business. Attention to social implications and questions of value throughout this process is essential. Thus, the DEC enables and supports scholars from a wide range of disciplines and beyond to meet, exchange ideas, and collaborate. The DEC is deeply engaged with informing and steering emerging policy initiatives on the socio-ethical value and implications of AI, digital technologies, and their applications. It sponsors public discussions that build an understanding of the socio-ethical and socio-legal aspects of digital technologies. Visitors and speakers include academics and researchers as well as civil servants, members of the technology industry, policymakers and lawmakers, and experts in culture and mass media. The DEC brings together leadership with the vision and ability to think innovatively and boldly and to move those ideas forward. It ensures diversity in its membership, promotes the inclusion of views, and arrives at consensus through open and constructive exchanges of ideas and balanced debate.
Yale University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer. Yale values diversity among its students, staff, and faculty and strongly welcomes applications from women, persons with disabilities, protected veterans, and underrepresented minorities.