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EnvironmentEASt, centre for East Asian Studies, is a research unit within the Maison des sciences humaines of the Universit&#233; libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Belgium. The key role of EASt is to be a central hub of the ULB to foster Asia related activities and research across the university. EASt offers high quality research on current developments in the East Asian region, and established research projects and networks focusing on Asian studies.PhD positions are funded by an ARC project, &#8220;GENEsYs &#8211; East Asian Youth: Identities and Practices in Public Space&#8221;. Public spaces fulfil a key role in developing citizenship, social inclusion and critical discourses. They are also sites where competing memories and contested positions are displayed, experienced or even silenced. The main objective of this cutting-edge project is to understand how East Asian youth occupy and use public spaces, be they material or digital ones. This project seeks to develop an interdisciplinary research team and agenda on the emerging region of East Asia, fostering collaboration at ULB between scholars from cultural studies, anthropology, sociology, philosophy and political science.ObjectivesChinese Cosplay Generation: Popular Culture and Bodily Performances in Public Spaces This project will explore how young Chinese cosplayers engage with the public at large to express new identities in spaces that are heavily regulated by social and political censoring mechanisms. On the one hand, this doctoral research will explore the structural organisation of Chinese cosplay (associations, conventions); on the other hand, it will look into specific bodily performances in public spaces. Objectives are to understand:The global environment in which Chinese cosplayers perform;The characteristics of public spaces that contribute to the formation of location-based social networks among young cosplayers;The several dimensions of youth identities performed simultaneously (gender and cultural but also ethnic or national identity) in cosplay practices in China;The role of cosplay among Chinese Millenials as a site of struggle between competing ways of representing Chinese culture and identity and China&#8217;s place in East Asia.SupervisorVanessa FRANGVILLE, vanessa.frangville@ulb.ac.be.Faculty of Lettres, Translation and Communication: https://www.ulb.ac.be/ulb/presentation/ltc.htmlPhilixte &#8211; Etudes litt&#233;raires, philosophiques et textuelles: http://philixte.ulb.ac.beAny question pertaining to this post and the related application process are to be directed via e-mail to the supervisor.Post DescriptionHiring Institution: Universit&#233; libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, BelgiumDuration: 36 months (October 2016- October 2019), with a possible extension to 48 months. Besides this internal funding, the research fellow will be invited to apply for a FNRS PhD-grant in January/February 2017, to extend the duration of the research to 60 months.Income: 34.500&#8364; Gross per year. The research Fellow will enjoy a monthly gross income of about 2900&#8364; which corresponds to an average net income of about 1900&#8364;. Please note that a Fellow&#8217;s individual net income after Social Security Contributions can vary in light of their nationality, family status and antecedents.RequirementsDegree: Top-level graduate degree (Master or equivalent) providing access to PhD programmes in Chinese studies.Language: Proficiency in written and spoken English is required. Knowledge, or willingness to learn French, is a plus.Proficiency in written and spoken Chinese is required for position 1; a good command of Japanese is also preferred.How to applyCandidates must send their applications as a single PDF file to the PhD supervisor&#8217;s professional email address (vanessa.frangville@ulb.ac.be),no later than 25th of August 2016 (17:00 CET).Applications must include:A letter of introduction (statement of motivation and personal interpretation of the research project);A full academic CV, including the name and contact details of two academic referees (we may contact your referees during the application process);An academic record with copies of diplomas and transcripts for BA and MA.Key DatesBy 25th of August 2016: Candidates must send their applications to the relevant supervisor.1st of September 2016: Shortlisted candidates will be invited to as Skype interview with their supervisor.5th of September 2016: Shortlisted candidates will be informed about final decision.Before 30th of October 2016: Selected candidates to arrive at the Universit&#233; libre de Bruxelles to start his/her training and research.