Expression of Interest for a Junior Research Position: Legal and Policy Recommendations for Community networks

The Department of Engineering and Information Science of the University of Trento is recruiting a temporary junior researcher in media and telecommunications law (at the post-doctoral, PhD or master level) for a period of 12 months to produce legal information and policy recommendations for community networks, as part of the netCommons project.

The interdisciplinary project netCommons (http://netcommons.eu/) focuses on the study of Internet community networks (CNs) in Europe managed as commons. Part of the project focuses on the legal framework of these communities, which mostly operate as informal, associative, cooperative or non-for-profit entities, and which bring together people with different skills to build and manage telecom networks, considered as commons.

Tasks will include analysing and answering legal questions faced by CNs, and the drafting of user-friendly legal information, recommendations and code of conducts for the internal management of CNs. Domains include liability, privacy and personal data protection, telecommunications and spectrum law, governance tools implemented within these groups (statutes, regulations, by-laws, decision making processes, etc.), and the consequences of the underlying technological and economic models.

Through regular interviews, this research-action will ultimately lead to the formulation of propositions for improvement of legal practices to ensure the proper functioning, sustainability and expansion of these communities, the monitoring of the implementation of these recommendations within voluntary groups, and the drafting of policy recommendations to preserve CNs as a commons.

A close collaboration with CNs located in France, Germany, Italy, Greece, Spain and the UK will be expected, as well as a regular collaboration with researchers of the CNRS Paris-Sorbonne Institute of Communication Sciences, coordinating the socio-legal and policy research of the project, and discussions with the other partners of the project specialized in computer science, economy and sociology.

Profile:

• The candidate must hold a master or a doctorate in IT, media or telecommunications law obtained in one of the EU countries.
• A prior experience in a non-profit entity or a law firm advising ICT communities will be appreciated.
• A very good command of English (written especially) is also necessary.
• A working knowledge of French, Italian or Greek would be a plus.
• Travels within Europe are expected.

Interested candidates are invited to send their Expression of Interest to locigno@disi.unitn.it, before October 15, containing the following documents:

• a resume;
• a cover letter describing previous experience of legal practical, applied work as well as knowledge of ICT;
• a selection of works (3 max.), either academic papers or briefs explaining a legal question to a client, assessing a legal risk, or preparing a legal defense.

Duration: 12 months, non renewable

• Starting date: ASAP until end of 2018
• Conditions: 1500 euros net monthly salary
• Contact person: locigno@disi.unitn.it

The formal recruitment will follow the customary Italian procedure. Non Italian candidates will be guided through the process.