Reports to: Bann Seng Tan

Location: Ashoka University.

Experience (in years): 0

Nature of work: Full or Part Time

About Ashoka University

10 years ago, we embarked on a journey to establish a world-class, multi-disciplinary, liberal arts

and sciences university in India. Built on the finest global best practices of institution and university

governance, Ashoka has truly transformed Indian higher education in India with its unique

pedagogy, governance and best practices.

Ashoka is today India’s #1 liberal arts and sciences university that is home to the most diverse

student body, a hub for impactful research and a magnet for best-in-class faculty and staff.

Ashoka has been ranked in the top five among private Universities in India by QS Asia and has

also secured top rank among all Indian Universities in the ‘International Faculty’ indicator. The

University was earlier awarded Diamond rating by QS I.GAUGE as a recognition of its

continuous focus on academic rigour, inter-disciplinary pedagogy, world-class faculty, academic

research, innovative modules of engagement with the community and teaching methods.

For further information, visit www.ashoka.edu.in.

We aim to co-create a nurturing space for our students, faculty, staff, donors and community

positively through universal values:

• Be Mission-Driven

• Think Strategically

• Act Authentically

• Take Accountability

• Build Collaboration

• Deliver Excellence

About Department/Centre

Political Science and International Relations.

Role and Responsibilities

The Research Assistant position is associated with Dr. Tan’s project on the political economy of

natural disasters. He uses established theories in political science to explain how autocrats might

react to natural disasters. To bypass the authoritarian state control over their local media, he relies

instead on foreign news reports collected from the search engine Lexis Nexis. The Ashoka Library

provides a subscription to that search engine.

The research assistant aids Dr Tan in:

• Webscrapping from relevant news media;

• Creating and maintaining a dataset;

• Conducting auxiliary regression analysis; and

• Maintaining a website for the project.

Eligibility

The position is mainly meant for undergraduate level students in Ashoka University. Candidates with

Computer or Data Science or Economics background are preferred. Geographers (with GIS

expertise) may also be considered. I understand students will have their routine courseload. Ashoka

graduates, who are free to work full-time may also apply. I may consider applicants with higher

qualifications and from other universities.

Duration

The Research Assistant should start in Dec 2022 (negotiable). The position is available for up to 1.5

years, non-renewable. Subject to performance review, and it last till the end of the Monsoon

semester in December 2023.

For Part-time, the expected workload is 20 hours per week.

For Full-time, the expected workload is 40 hours per week.

The salary is competitive but contingent on grant funding.

Skill Sets

The work will involve quantitative data. This means the candidate must have the requisite

quantitative skills. Compulsory skills include: R and/or Stata, text analysis (see here and here) or

econometric analysis. The following skills are optional: Python, GIS coding and web scraping.

Candidates with Computer or Data Science or Economics background are preferred. Geographers

(with GIS expertise) may also be considered.

Last Date for Application

18 November.

Application Submission Process

Interested applicants should send the following:

• a CV (with 2-3 referees and their contact details).

• a cover letter specifying your exact quantitative skills (or highlight the methods course you took).

• non-Ashoka applicants should include a copy of your degrees and official certified transcripts.

• (optional) a website where the candidate showcases his programming skills.

• (optional) you may also get your referees to send two letters of recommendations separately. I am

fine if you use Interfolio to send the LORs.

All materials should be in pdfs. Send all application materials in a single email to

[email protected] . The subject headline of the email must use this format “Research

Assistant Application: Insert your name here”.

Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for interviews. After the initial screening, there may be

a second round of technical interviews. The selection process shall continue until the position is

filled.

Ashoka is an equal opportunities employer. Remuneration will be competitive with Indian

non-profit pay scales and will depend upon the candidate’s experience levels and the overall

organization’s salary structure.