Missions

Following the repressions in Belarus in 2020 and the subsequent mass exodus from that country, Russia's large-scale military invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, triggered an unprecedented exodus of the Ukrainian population, followed by more limited migratory flows from Russia. The reasons for exile are varied: population displacement from occupied or bombed territories, political repression in the country of origin, fear of being mobilized. Without equating exile from these three countries, the research nevertheless starts from the observation that these populations intersect and interact in certain places, as is the case in Lithuania, Poland, and Georgia. The research analyzes the repercussions of the ongoing war on the trajectories, mobility, and commitments of exiles from the three countries involved in the conflict from a comparative perspective and by analyzing the convergences and interactions between these groups.
The research engineer will be responsible for designing and conducting a field survey on Ukrainian exiles. A study on the movements of these exiles between countries of refuge within the European Union and their country of origin would be particularly welcome, as it would provide important additional information on their trajectories and mobility over the course of the conflict. The research engineer will assist members in collecting and archiving data and, in this capacity, will explore the possibilities of creating an Exilest archive at a conservation center (such as La Contemporaine, the National Archives, etc.). He/she will participate in the dissemination of the project's results, such as publications to the scientific community. He/she will be responsible for scheduling regular webinars and will participate in the organization of scientific events, in particular the international conference in December 2026.

Activities

-Conduct qualitative field research on a project topic related to exile flows from Ukraine
-Collect empirical material on Russian and Belarusian exiles to support the teams at the various ANR axis.
-Coordinate the project's monthly and annual seminars
-Disseminate information on events organized by the project team
-Help organize a study day and the project's closing conference
-Manage the project's digital resources (storage, archiving, and promotion)

Skills

- In-depth knowledge in at least one of the following disciplines: sociology, history, political science, Slavic studies, anthropology.
- Knowledge of fields related to EXILEST's themes: migration studies, politicization processes, social dynamics generated by wars, communities and practices in exile, etc.
- Proficiency in qualitative research methods (production and analysis): semi-structured interviews, participant observation, online ethnography
- Proficiency in Ukrainian sufficient to conduct interviews in this language. Proficiency in or understanding of Russian and/or Belarusian would be an advantage.
- General knowledge of personal data protection legislation, open access, and research ethics
- Ability to present the results of a study or research to different audiences
- English language: B1 to B2 (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages)

Results and controls

The engineer recruited will work at CERCEC under the authority of the project managers at EHESS and in close coordination with the ANR Exilest project leader for all project coordination activities (webinars, study days, international conferences).
He/she will be responsible for archiving the documentation from the surveys conducted by the project members.
He/she undertakes to produce a scientific publication (article or book chapter) based on his/her own research.

Work Context

The Center for Russian, Caucasian, Eastern European, and Central Asian Studies (CERCEC) is a joint CNRS-EHESS research unit located in the EHESS building on the Condorcet Campus in Aubervilliers.
The engineer recruited will work at CERCEC and will have a dedicated workspace. In addition, he or she will have access to the campus facilities and will receive partial reimbursement for transportation costs.
He or she will be integrated into the ANR Exilest project team and will report to the project's scientific director and the unit's management.
The Condorcet campus is accessible by metro (line 12, Front populaire station, or RER B, La plaine-Stade de France station).

Constraints and risks

The work involves several trips related to field research (Georgia, Lithuania, Poland) and research promotion, depending on calls for participation in research symposiums/conferences/seminars.