Graduate Assistantships: Conflict Resolution Program

The Carter Center’s Conflict Resolution Program is seeking a graduate student for the 2020-2021 session to conduct data preparation, research, and analysis for the Syria project. The Syria team has documented the formation of armed groups and coalitions in Syria since 2013, resulting in the identification of at least 7,000 armed groups throughout the course of the Syrian conflict. The Syria team is in need of a graduate assistant who can improve its armed group data and conduct relevant, impactful analysis on how armed group relations have evolved throughout the conflict. Additionally, the assistant is expected to produce a paper on opposition armed group trends in the past year and the impact on Syria’s recovery, in support of our current research on long-term recovery for Syria.

Project deliverables:

• Organize the Syria team’s data on armed group relations from 2013 to 2018 in a graph database, using Cypher, SQL, and/or R (accomplish by month 6)
• Update the database with armed group formations from the last two years (month 8)
• Use social network analysis to review the data on the evolution of opposition armed groups and pro-government armed groups in Syria, to be used for internal purposes (month 10)
• Produce a paper on current trends of opposition armed groups (months 11-12)
  
  *timeline can be adjusted as needed

Qualifications:

• Currently enrolled graduate or doctoral student who has completed at least two semesters of academic coursework in a master’s or post-master’s level program
• A 20-hour per week commitment for a period of 9-12 months
• Experience with social network analysis, graph databases, and/or SQL
• Completed coursework in data analysis
• Demonstrated interest in intrastate conflict, nonstate armed group demobilization, Middle East politics, and/or international relations
• Knowledge of the Syrian conflict and its dynamics is preferred
• Familiarity with reading Arabic is an added benefit
• Strong research, writing, and analytical skills

Apply today »