"Post Doctoral Associate in the Division of Social Science - Drs. Leonid Peisakhin and Joan Barceló"

NYU Abu Dhabi is pioneering a new model of higher education for a global world, dedicated to excellence in teaching and research and to advancing cooperation and progress on humanity’s shared challenges. Drawing on the strengths of the NYU global network, it offers an outstanding liberal arts and sciences education to students from the United Arab Emirates, the United States, and around the world, with a distinctive focus on intercultural understanding and leadership. It supports innovative research and graduate education programs that push forward the frontiers of knowledge and respond in powerful and interdisciplinary ways to vital global and local challenges.

We invite applications for a Postdoctoral Associate in the Division of Social Science at NYU Abu Dhabi from individuals who have or will soon receive a PhD in political science or a related discipline. The appointment will begin September 1, 2026, subject to final budget approval and is available for up to three years.

The post-doctoral associate will spend half their time on independent research, and half of their time on collaborative research with Drs. Leonid Peisakhin and Joan Barceló. The collaborative research will be in the field of political violence, with an emphasis on the legacy of conflict, transitional justice, and post-conflict reconciliation. This position is open as to geographical focus.

The ideal candidate will specialize in historical political economy and will have an interest in conflict studies, post-conflict reconciliation, as well as broader topics in political economy; strong candidates with research interests in other subfields will also be given full consideration. Advanced methodological training is essential; this includes high-level familiarity with causal inference, experimental methods, and econometric techniques. Familiarity with public opinion research and experience working with historical sources would be helpful, but not required.

The position does not require teaching, but it may be possible to get teaching experience for compensation. You would be part of a group of over 20 post-doctoral fellows and 70 faculty in the Division of Social Science.

For consideration, applicants must submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae with a full publication list, a transcript, statement of research interests and two letters of reference, all in PDF format by December 1, 2025. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Leonid Peisakhin (leonid.peisakhin@nyu.edu).

About NYU Abu Dhabi: NYU Abu Dhabi is a degree-granting research university with a fully integrated liberal arts and science undergraduate program in the Arts, Sciences, Social Sciences, Humanities, and Engineering. NYU Abu Dhabi, NYU New York, and NYU Shanghai, form the backbone of NYU’s global network university, an interconnected network of portal campuses and academic centers across six continents that enable seamless international mobility of students and faculty in their pursuit of academic and scholarly activity. This global university represents a transformative shift in higher education, one in which the intellectual and creative endeavors of academia are shaped and examined through an international and multicultural perspective. As a major intellectual hub at the crossroads of the Arab world, NYUAD serves as a center for scholarly thought, advanced research, knowledge creation, and sharing, through its academic, research, and creative activities.

EOE/AA/Minorities/Females/Vet/Disabled/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity Employer. UAE Nationals are encouraged to apply.

Qualifications: Not specified in detail, but requires a PhD in political science or related discipline.

Application Instructions: Submit required documents by December 1, 2025.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement: NYU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to a policy of equal treatment and opportunity in every aspect of its recruitment and hiring process without regard to age, alienage, caregiver status, childbirth, citizenship status, color, creed, disability, domestic violence victim status, ethnicity, familial status, gender and/or gender identity or expression, marital status, military status, national origin, parental status, partnership status, predisposing genetic characteristics, pregnancy, race, religion, reproductive health decision making, sex, sexual orientation, unemployment status, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis.