Research Assistant - Climate Justice and Colonial Legacies

About the TRACE project

TRACE is a European project aiming to better understand how colonial legacies continue to influence vulnerabilities to climate change.

Through research, school workshops, debates, podcasts, and exhibitions, the project seeks to make these issues accessible to young people and encourage collective reflection around climate justice.

Internship missions

As part of the European TRACE project, you will contribute to the preparation of an interactive exhibition scheduled for March 2027, dedicated to colonial legacies and their consequences on current climate vulnerabilities.

The goal? To transform in-depth scientific research into an exhibition accessible to the general public, followed by a participatory event around climate justice.

Scientific research and comparative analysis

• Conduct an in-depth analysis of six former Belgian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian colonies, studying their colonial history and evolution since independence.

• Study the links between colonial legacies, economic development, political structures, social inequalities, and climate vulnerability.

• Collect and analyze scientific and statistical data (World Bank, World Risk Index, academic publications, etc.).

• Draft six comparative case studies and contribute to a publication synthesizing the main research findings.

Design of an interactive exhibition - March 2027

• Participate in defining the exhibition path, its content, and its scenography.

• Transform scientific results into accessible and interactive supports: maps, infographics, data visualizations, testimonies, etc.

• Contribute to the graphic and educational design of the exhibition, in collaboration with the team.

• Participate in the preparation and installation of the exhibition.

Organization of a debate and co-design event

• Contribute to the design of a public event dedicated to climate justice and historical responsibilities.

• Participate in developing debates and co-design workshops bringing together young people, citizens, researchers, and NGO actors.

• Prepare contents, discussion questions, and participatory tools.

• Participate in facilitating the event and synthesizing the reflections and recommendations of the participants.

Popularization and promotion of research

• Contribute to drafting scientific contents accessible to the general public.

• Prepare thematic files for podcasts, events, and project communications.

• Promote the results of the research and workshops carried out with young people.

• Participate in disseminating the conclusions and recommendations of the project.

• Studies in political science, history, international relations, economics, geography, international development, or a related field.

• Strong interest in climate issues, inequalities, and international relations.

• Good skills in documentary research and critical analysis.

• Excellent writing skills.

• Good command of English.

• Autonomy, intellectual curiosity, and scientific rigor.

The recruitment process takes place in two stages: a first online interview to discuss your background, motivations and expectations, followed by a second in-person interview to delve deeper into discussions and discover Sumatra Innovation more concretely.