Utrecht University
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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 availableDeadline
Sep 14, 2026
Country
Netherlands
University
Utrecht University

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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
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