Postdoctoral Position on Digital Payments and Platforms in Illegal Markets in Latin America (m/w/d)

REGULA is an interdisciplinary project combining public policy, legal studies, and sociology to examine the role of services offered by tech companies and financial intermediaries in illegal markets in Latin America. REGULA is funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) and co-directed by Prof. Matias Dewey, Prof. Roy Gava, and Prof. Mariana Valente.

The successful candidate work under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Matías Dewey. The position is based at the Centro Latinoamericano-Suizo and associated with the Professorship of Latin American Studies. The candidate will have opportunities to collaborate with scholars associated with the Research Institute of Sociology. Funds may be available for conferences.

Please submit your application with the following documents:

• A cover letter (max. 2 pages) detailing your research interests, motivation for joining this project, and how your background aligns with the position.
• A CV highlighting your education, research experience, and relevant skills.
• A writing sample (e.g. PhD's thesis or seminar papers).
• Copies of your grade transcripts (Bachelor's, Master's and PhD's) and certificates.

• Conduct postdoctoral research on how digital platforms and electronic payment services (digital wallets and cryptocurrencies) are shaping illegal or informal economies in Latin America. Focus on Argentina, Brazil and Mexico is preferred but not exclusive. Examples of illegal markets analyzed in the project include wildlife, illegal drugs, child sexual abuse material, or counterfeits.
• Examine emerging practices (online and off-line) around the use of digital platforms and payments, and the circulation of knowledge among professionals (accountants and lawyers) about how to deal with regulations.
• Assess new practices on the use of digital platforms and payments offered by firms acting as regulatory intermediaries.
• Participate in the design, collection, and analysis of cross-national surveys
• Submit papers to peer-reviewed journals and present at scientific conferences.
• Engage in collaborations in an interdisciplinary environment (sociology, political science, international law, anthropology).
• Work in the office on a daily basis.

• Ph.D. degree in sociology, political science, anthropology, development studies, or a related discipline.
• Documented knowledge of the Latin American region.
• Knowledge about illegal markets and/or the informal economy.
• Strong interest in academic research and proficiency in qualitative and (to a lesser degree) quantitative research methods.
• Experience conducting and managing research projects in the Latin American region is an advantage.
• Track record of international publications.
• Ability to work effectively, both independently and collaboratively, in an interdisciplinary and international research team.
• Excellent command of written and spoken English. Proficiency in Spanish and/or Portuguese is an advantage.

"A place where knowledge is created" - As one of Europe's leading universities of economics and business administration, the University of St.Gallen (HSG), Switzerland, is committed to the education of over 10'000 students. The HSG is one of the largest employers in the region and provides an attractive and innovative environment for more than 3'500 researchers, educators and professional staff.