Faculty Position: Megafauna Ecology and Conservation Group----Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden,CAS

Recruitment notice for the Megafauna Ecology and Conservation Research Group of Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Faculty Position: Megafauna Ecology and Conservation Group

The Megafauna Ecology and Conservation (MEC) Group at the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG), Yunnan is relatively new (formed in 2020) and led by Professor Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz. The group’s work focusses on the ecology and conservation of megafauna – especially elephants – and their habitats in China and throughout tropical Asia. MEC has two main areas of research: (1) understanding human-wildlife interactions and developing evidence-based approaches to turn conflict into coexistence, and (2) understanding the impacts of megafauna on ecosystems and the consequences of defaunation and refaunation processes. The Megafauna Conservation Group forms part of XTBG’s Center for Integrative Conservation (CIC) and the Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research Institute (SEABRI), all part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

1. Seeking positions:

(1) Conservation Social Scientist (Appointment at Assistant/Associate Professor Level), 1 position;

(2) Landscape Ecology Scientist (Appointment at Assistant/Associate Professor Level), 1 position;

(3) Landscape Ecology Research Assistant, 1 position.

2. Working location

Menglun Town, Mengla County, Xishuangbanna Autonomous Prefecture.

3. Position requirements

The Megafauna Conservation Group is seeking to appoint a member of academic staff at Assistant/Associate Professor level specializing in conservation social science, particularly on human-wildlife interactions and the human dimensions of human-wildlife conflicts. For this position we are seeking applicants with expertise on social aspects of conservation such as community and multi-stakeholder engagement, quantitative and qualitative social science techniques, conservation policy and planning, and interdisciplinary aspects of wildlife conservation.

We are also seeking landscape ecology applicants with a background on landscape and/or animal ecology, proficient at GIS, and generally strong quantitative skills. Experience with wildlife studies including animal movement, animal-habitat relationships, occupancy analyses, conservation planning, and spatial modeling are particularly useful.
l For Assistant/Associate Professor Level, applicants are expected to have a PhD degree or equivalent experience and a track record of publications in the leading scientific journals in the field. They need a strong command of English and, in the case of applicants for the conservation social science position, they should be able to speak Chinese. For Landscape Ecology Special Assistant, applicants are expected to have a Master degree. Technically, according to XTBG regulation, we are expecting Assistant/Associate Professor Level applicants who are below 40 years old.
The successful candidate(s) will work in accordance with the Megafauna Ecology and Conservation Group’s vision and research strategy and will be encouraged to develop new – yet complementary – research directions within the group. The appointee will be expected to contribute to the research group management and development, to graduate student supervision, and to seek external funding as required by the research goals.

4. Applying for the position:

Applicants should submit (1) a CV including contact details for three referees, (2) a cover letter indicating their suitability for the position and a statement of research interests/plans, (3) pdfs of up to five representative publications, and (4) scanning of degree certificate. Applications should be submitted by email to Prof Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz (ahimsa@xtbg.ac.cn), copy Ms Fang Chunyan (fcy@xtbg.ac.cn) and Ms. Zhu Yufei (zhuyufei@xtbg.ac.cn).

Xishuangbanna is in tropical Southwest China, near the borders with Laos and Myanmar, and showcases both the great diversity of the tropics and the challenges of conserving it. Xishuangbanna is also home to the last population of wild Asian elephants in China, some of which live in intense conflict with local communities. Uniquely for the region, XTBG offers state-of-the-art research facilities in a rural location, surrounded by a mosaic of forest fragments and plantation agriculture. XTBG has major on-going research collaborations in Myanmar and Thailand, and strong links with other research institutions in Yunnan and throughout tropical Asia. Put ‘Xishuangbanna’ in any academic search engine to see the diversity of the research being done in this part of China. Please visit the garden's website at http://english.xtbg.cas.cn/ for more information about XTBG.

For informal, confidential enquiries about the position, please contact Prof Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz (ahimsa@xtbg.ac.cn).