The University of Milano-Bicocca is offering a fully funded three-year PhD position in Business for Society, focusing on the project "Banking Intermediation Under Digital Disruption: DeFi, Emerging Risks, and Business Model Transformation." This opportunity is open to outstanding international candidates interested in how Decentralised Finance (DeFi), stablecoins, and Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) are reshaping traditional banking intermediation. The research will address business model transformation, operational and cyber risks, financial inclusion, and systemic implications in the context of digital disruption in finance.

The selected PhD candidate will be supervised by Professor Paola Bongini (University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy) and Professor Małgorzata Iwanicz-Drozdowska (Warsaw School of Economics, Poland). The program includes a mandatory international research period at the Warsaw School of Economics, with the possibility of a cotutelle agreement. The PhD is conducted entirely in English and provides advanced research training, as well as an annual research budget for conferences, seminars, and summer schools.

Funding includes a net scholarship of €1,200 per month for three years, with a 50% increase during the mandatory research period abroad, and an annual research budget of €1,600. The program is designed for candidates with strong backgrounds in Banking & Finance, Financial Intermediation, Fintech, Risk Management, Financial Regulation, or Applied Econometrics. Applicants are required to submit a CV, academic transcripts, and a short statement of research interests (maximum 1 page). The official call for applications will be open from March 18 to April 17, 2026. For more information, visit the program website at https://b4s.unimib.it.

This is an excellent opportunity for those interested in the intersection of business, finance, and technology, and who wish to contribute to research on digital transformation in the financial sector at a leading European institution.