Youth Exchange Against Anti-Rights: Call for Applications

Exciting opportunity! SAIH is recruiting two young researchers with an interest in social justice and advocacy to join a one-year international exchange project in Norway, South Africa and Thailand.

SAIH is recruiting two early-career researchers with a strong commitment to social justice and advocacy to participate in a one-year international exchange project. The project focuses on countering anti-rights forces that affect historically marginalized groups in different contexts.

This exchange offers a unique opportunity to conduct impactful research and develop advocacy skills within an international framework.

Successful candidates will be expected, with the support of academic and activist mentors, to develop and complete a self-designed research project, individually or in groups, that addresses overarching themes, including anti-environmentalism, anti-gender and anti-queer movements, nationalism, migration and citizenship, and academic freedom.

Participants will also receive training in advocacy and research communication and contribute to the advocacy strategies of organisations involved in the project.

For this project, SAIH is partnering with Colors Rainbow (CRB), a leading Myanmar LGBTQIA+ rights organisation, and the Centre for Sexualities, AIDS and Gender (CSA&G) at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. Starting in January 2027, each of the three partner organisations will send two participants on the exchange, who will spend their time between South Africa, Norway, and Thailand.

The tentative schedule for the exchange is as follows:

• January: participants are based in their home organisations’ cities (Chiang Mai, Oslo, and Pretoria).
• February-April: research and activism stay at the University of Pretoria.
• May-August: stay in Norway with SAIH (mainly in Oslo, with weeks in Bergen).
• September-November: stay in Thailand with CRB (Mainly in Chiang Mai).

We offer a one-year temporary employment contract. Employees are expected to be fully committed and participate in all parts of the exchange.

Participants sent from SAIH will receive a stipend of NOK 10,000 per month while in South Africa, NOK 25,000 per month while in Norway, and NOK 10,000 per month while in Thailand. The project will cover all costs relating to accommodation, travel, and activities.

Participants will receive academic and advocacy supervision. However, they are expected to work independently or within their groups during most of the exchange period.

Important note: The project is dependent on funding from NOREC. We are currently awaiting a final funding decision. This exchange will take place only if the project recieves funding. We expect to confirm the funding decision to applicants by the end of October. Applicants are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the project background, timeline and activities before applying.

Qualifications:

• Be a young professional or recent graduate (preferably with a master’s and/or PhD), and have finished studies by the time the exchange starts
• Have studied in a field relevant to the project, e.g. gender studies, development studies, human rights, environmental studies, anthropology, sociology, human geography or related fields
• Have a particular interest in or knowledge of one of the themes of the exchange
• Have workingproficiency in English
• Have an interest in the relationship between research and advocacy
• Be available to fully participate in the year-long programme, including international travel
• Have research experience and be familiar with quantitative or qualitative research methods.
• Be a Norwegian citizen or have a Norwegian work visa valid throughout 2027 
• Have a genuine passion for promoting human rights, campaigns and advocacy work

It is an advantage if you have:

• Experience from fieldwork
• Have a background in activism 
• Research experience
• Interculturalcuriosity 

Personal qualities:

• Curious, analytical and committed to human rights and social justice
• Culturally sensitive and able to work well across differences
• Adaptable, resilient and solutions-oriented when responding to changes that may arise in different contexts and in the project itself
• Strongcommunicator
• Organised, reliable and able to work independently as well as in a team
• Motivated to link research with advocacy and action

Why apply?

This programme is more than an academic opportunity; it is a chance to:

• Shape global conversations on human rights and democracy.
• Build a career trajectory in academia, civil society, or policy spaces.
• Gain international experience across three continents.
• Join a network of young researchers and activists committed to advancing social justice.

How to apply

Please send your CV and a short letter of motivation in English (max. one page) to vinicius.cruz@saih.no

For any questions about the project or application process, please contact Vinicius Cruz at the same email address.

This project is dependent on funding from Norec, and all selections will be considered final pending confirmation by the funder.