André Nollkaemper

This postdoctoral position is part of KNOWSEC-NL , a large interdisciplinary consortium studying how Dutch and European knowledge institutions can remain open to international collaboration while responding to geopolitical and geo-economic competition. The project focuses on knowledge security as a systems problem and uses energy transition technologies as the main anchor for analysis, including energy storage and batteries, catalysis and solar fuels, hydrogen, and the critical materials they depend on. The successful researcher will compare these technologies systematically with three strategically sensitive domains: quantum technology, artificial intelligence, and biotechnology . The aim is to identify which knowledge security risks and policy responses are field-specific and which are shared across domains. The work is designed to inform a project-wide normative balancing framework that brings together proportionality and risk appraisal. The position is based at SEVEN , the University of Amsterdam’s interdisciplinary climate institute. SEVEN approaches climate change as a systemic challenge, and this post extends that perspective to the governance of knowledge security. The appointment sits within a broader national network involving multiple Dutch universities and research institutes, as well as policy and practice partners. The research combines literature review, participatory systems work, and policy-facing engagement. A major part of the role involves working with domain scientists and knowledge security professionals to map feedback loops, trade-offs, and unintended effects of existing and proposed measures. The post also contributes to interdisciplinary theory-building on how knowledge security can be analysed, and to international exchange through conferences, policy fora, and collaboration with related programmes abroad. Supervision is provided by Prof. André Nollkaemper and Prof. Machiko Kanetake . The role includes close interaction with colleagues in chemistry, energy technology, AI, quantum technology, and biomedical research at the University of Amsterdam, CWI, and Amsterdam UMC. The consortium also offers summer and winter schools for early-career researchers and may include a short secondment with a cooperation partner. The project is funded within the Dutch Research Council’s Dutch Research Agenda framework and is positioned at the intersection of research governance, security, and international collaboration.