Team

The people behind TRACES

TRACES is led by Dr. Ahmed Ajil at the University of Lucerne. The team is currently recruiting a PhD researcher and two postdoctoral researchers — see open positions below.

Principal Investigator

Dr. Ahmed Ajil

Dr. Ahmed Ajil

Principal Investigator · Incoming Assistant Professor

Ahmed Ajil holds a doctorate in criminology from the University of Lausanne and the Université Laval (Québec). He is a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Lucerne and incoming Assistant Professor in Behavioural Sciences. His work bridges criminology, security studies, and the sociology of race, with field experience across Switzerland, Belgium, the UK, Germany, Jordan and the wider Arab world.

Personal website → ahmed.ajil@unilu.ch

Open positions

TRACES is currently recruiting one PhD position and two postdoctoral positions, all starting 1 October 2026 or by agreement. All three are hosted at the University of Lucerne, with the possibility of remote work; travel across Switzerland, Germany and Belgium is part of the job. Application deadline: 15 September 2026.

PhD Position

100% · 4 years

Supports all three work packages with a focus on WP1 (mapping how CT instruments — criminal law, administrative law, PVE programmes — are applied in practice across Switzerland, Germany and Belgium), and contributes to interviews, courtroom ethnography and focus groups in WP2/WP3.

Tasks

  • Quantitative and qualitative analysis of criminal and administrative law documents (CH/DE/BE)
  • Support with semi-structured interviews and ethnographic research
  • Courtroom ethnography and focus groups
  • Writing and publishing PhD dissertation

Requirements

  • Master’s in social sciences (security studies, criminology, anthropology or sociology)
  • Interest in counterterrorism, PVE and radicalisation
  • Autonomy in field research and writing
  • English, German and/or French; basic Arabic an asset
View posting & apply →

Postdoctoral Researcher

50–60% · 4 years

Works across all work packages with a focus on WP2 — Critical Discourse Analysis and intersectional coding of legal decisions and case files, and semi-structured interviews with CT practitioners across the three countries. (Kennziffer 7000/34)

Tasks

  • Quantitative and qualitative analysis of criminal and administrative law documents (CH/DE/BE)
  • Conduct semi-structured interviews with practitioners
  • Focus groups and courtroom ethnography
  • Writing of scientific papers

Requirements

  • Doctorate in social sciences, ideally security studies, criminology or counterterrorism
  • Autonomy in field research; publishing experience
  • Ability to work in an international research team
  • English, German and/or French; Arabic an asset
View posting & apply →

Postdoctoral Researcher — Blockchain track

50–60% · 4 years

A joint position with the Zug Institute of Blockchain Research (ZIBR), pursuing independent research into the intersections of counterterrorism and blockchain technology alongside TRACES’ core legal-document analysis. (Kennziffer 7000/35)

Tasks

  • Quantitative and qualitative analysis of criminal and administrative law documents (CH/DE/BE)
  • Independent research into the connection between counterterrorism and blockchain
  • Writing of scientific papers

Requirements

  • Doctorate in social sciences, ideally security studies, criminology or counterterrorism
  • Experience or interest in blockchain research from a social-science perspective
  • Autonomy in field research; publishing experience
  • English, German and/or French
View posting & apply →

Applications are submitted via the University of Lucerne job portal (links above), not via this website. Questions: Prof. Dr. Ahmed Ajil, ahmed.ajil@unilu.ch, +41 41 229 59 12. A research assistant position (WP3 support) will be announced at a later stage — subscribe to be notified.

Scientific advisory board

An interdisciplinary advisory board will support the project. Names will be confirmed in the coming months.