Publisher
source

Utrecht University

Just Landed

PhD in Global Talent Mobility and Europe’s Strategic Autonomy at Utrecht University Utrecht University in Netherlands

Degree Level

PhD

Field of study

Sociology

Funding

Full funding available

Deadline

Sep 14, 2026

Country flag

Country

Netherlands

University

Utrecht University

Social connections

How do I apply for this?

Sign in for free to reveal details, requirements, and source links.

Apply for this position

Keywords

Sociology
Political Science
Geography
Economic Geography
Economics
Statistics

Suggested positions

About this position

Utrecht University’s Faculty of Geosciences is advertising a fully funded four-year PhD position on global talent mobility and Europe’s strategic autonomy. The project sits at the intersection of economic geography, innovation studies, migration, and geography, with a particular focus on how the mobility of highly skilled people—especially STEM PhD recipients—shapes innovation systems, knowledge networks, and the translation of research into technological and economic value.

The PhD candidate will work with large-scale longitudinal data on PhD recipients and complementary sources such as publication data, patent data, and career-path information. The role includes designing the research project, collecting and analysing data, writing and publishing papers, presenting at conferences and seminars, completing the dissertation within four years, and contributing to teaching.

The successful candidate will be based in the Economic Geography Section of the Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, with close collaboration with the Innovation Studies Section at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development. Supervision is by Dr Burcu Özgün, Dr Giovanna Capponi, and Professor Carolina Castaldi.

Eligibility highlights: interest in global talent interdependencies, innovation, migration, and geography; ability or strong motivation to work with large datasets; and readiness to use quantitative and mixed-method approaches. The post is located in the Netherlands.

Deadline: 14 September 2026. Apply through the AcademicTransfer portal linked in the vacancy notice.

Funding details

Full funding including tuition fees and living expenses is available for this position. The scholarship covers all educational costs and provides a monthly stipend.

How to apply

Please submit your application including a cover letter, CV, academic transcripts, and contact information for two references. Applications should be sent via the online portal before the deadline.

More information can be found here

Ask ApplyKite AI

Start chatting
Can you summarize this position?
What qualifications are required for this position?
How should I prepare my application?