Fully Funded PhD Positions in European History, Memory Studies, and Security Studies at the Geneva Graduate Institute Geneva Graduate Institute in Switzerland

The Geneva Graduate Institute and the Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding (CCDP) are recruiting two fully funded doctoral researcher positions for the project “Narrative Belonging: Memory Politics and NATO Enlargement in Europe.”

This PhD opportunity is based in Geneva, Switzerland, within the Department of International History and Politics and the CCDP. The project examines how European history, memory studies, security studies, and political narratives have shaped NATO enlargement since the end of the Cold War. It focuses on key enlargement episodes, including the 1999 accession of the Visegrád countries, the 2004 enlargement involving the Vilnius group, and the more recent accessions of Finland and Sweden.

Successful candidates will contribute to archival research, media analysis, oral history interviews, data collection, and the development of an open digital archive, while also pursuing their own doctoral dissertations aligned with the project’s themes. The research environment is international and interdisciplinary, with additional institutional affiliation through CCDP.

Eligibility highlights: a Master’s degree in history or a related discipline; strong interest in contemporary European history, memory politics, or security studies; strong research and analytical skills; ability to work independently and collaboratively; excellent English; and desirable regional/language skills, especially Polish or Baltic languages.

Funding: the positions are fully funded and follow SNSF standards for doctoral researchers, with salary and welfare benefits included. The contract runs from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2030.

Application deadline: 29 May 2026. Applicants should submit a PDF application package including a motivation letter, short research proposal (max. 1000 words), CV, transcripts and diplomas, writing sample, two referees, and an English language certificate if applicable.

For more information, contact the Principal Investigator, Jussi Hanhimaki, at [email protected].