PhD Scholarships in Political Science: China's Scientific Silk Road, Geopolitics, Environment, and Space Université Laval in Germany

Degree Level

PhD

Field of study

Anthropology

Funding

Fully funded: covers all tuition fees and provides a competitive stipend of approximately $40,000 CAD per year (subject to satisfactory progress) for four years. Additional funds are available for research, travel, and a dedicated workspace. Funding is provided by the Volkswagen Foundation.

Deadline

Expired

Country

Germany

University

Laval University

How do Chinese students apply for this?

Where to contact

Official Email

[email protected]

Keywords

Anthropology

Environmental Science

Sociology

Political Science

Geography

International Relations

Space Exploration

Geopolitics

Science Policy

China

About this position

Université Laval, in partnership with the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science (MPIWG) in Berlin, is offering two fully funded PhD scholarships for research on the scientific Silk Road of China and the new geopolitics of knowledge production. The project, funded by the Volkswagen Foundation, critically examines the impacts of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) on global scientific practices, with a particular focus on environmental and space-related issues. The program is interdisciplinary, drawing on political science, international relations, sociology, anthropology, geography, and science and technology studies (STS). Doctoral students will be co-supervised by Professors Hang Zhou and Jean-Frédéric Morin at Université Laval, and Professors Han Cheng and Anna Lisa Ahlers at MPIWG.

Students will be affiliated with the Department of Political Science, the School of International Studies, and CIRGoM at Laval, and may spend time at MPIWG in Berlin and participate in a doctoral seminar at the University of Oslo. The scholarship covers tuition, provides a stipend of $40,000 CAD per year for four years, and includes additional funds for research, travel, and workspace. Applicants must have or be completing a master's degree in a relevant field by 2026, demonstrate strong interest in scientific diplomacy and global science governance, and be proficient in English or French.

Applications are open to all nationalities, with a deadline of November 14, 2025. Interested candidates should email Professor Han Cheng with required documents and later submit an official application to Université Laval.

Funding details

What's required

Applicants must hold or be about to complete a master's degree with distinction (or equivalent) in political science, international relations, sociology, anthropology, geography, or a related discipline by the end of the 2025-2026 academic year. Strong interest in scientific diplomacy, science policy, STS, science-society relations, global science governance, or international scientific cooperation is required. Knowledge of the Belt and Road Initiative or global China studies is an asset but not mandatory. Candidates may choose a global (requiring proficiency in mixed methods) or regional (requiring qualitative research expertise, ideally with ethnographic fieldwork in Africa or Latin America) approach. Proficiency in English or French (spoken and written) and good comprehension of the other language are required.

How to apply

Email Professor Han Cheng at [email protected] with your CV, a one-page motivation letter, transcripts, and a three-page research proposal. After initial review, submit an official application to Université Laval. For more details, visit the program website.