PhD Position: DIViNE Doctoral Network DC6 – Security Externalities and Post-Conflict Democratization University of Milan in Italy

PhD opportunity in the DIViNE Doctoral Network (Democratic Institutions and Violence Network in Europe) at the University of Milan, with research mobility and training also at Uppsala University. This fully funded doctoral position, DC6: Security Externalities and Post-Conflict Democratization, is part of a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network under Horizon Europe.

The project examines how security provision, development pathways, and institutional reform interact in post-conflict settings. It asks whether improved security helps sustain inclusive democratic institutions, or whether slow development and unmet expectations can contribute to renewed violence. A particular focus is placed on the gap between formal democratic reforms and citizens' perceptions, and on how trust, legitimacy, mobilization, gender equality, and civil society empowerment shape the durability of democratization after conflict.

The research combines cross-national datasets, survey evidence, and comparative case analysis. Training will include conflict analysis and post-conflict governance, quantitative political methodology, cross-national dataset construction, survey methods, and comparative case analysis. The doctoral candidate will also participate in DIViNE network-wide training, dissemination activities, and policy engagement through a non-academic secondment, such as IDEA Stockholm and/or Fondazione Feltrinelli in Milan.

The host institution is the Università degli Studi di Milano, Department of Social and Political Sciences, within the PhD programme in Intersectoral Innovation. The candidate will be based across Milan and Uppsala, with periods of training and mobility at partner institutions in the network. The appointment lasts 36 months and starts in January–February 2027.

Funding follows MSCA Doctoral Networks rules and includes a gross monthly living allowance of €3,821.53, a mobility allowance of €710.00 per month, and a family allowance of €495.00 per month for eligible researchers with dependent family members. The position is open to doctoral candidates who do not already hold a PhD and who satisfy the MSCA mobility rule, meaning they must not have lived or carried out their main activity in Italy for more than 12 months in the 36 months before recruitment.

Applicants should hold, or expect to hold by the start date, a master's degree or equivalent in Political Science, International Relations, Conflict/Peace Studies, Sociology, or a closely related field. Strong academic performance, excellent English, and a clear fit with the project are expected. For DC6, quantitative methods, post-conflict studies, or development/security research are desirable, and additional languages relevant to the case-study countries are an advantage.

Applications must be submitted electronically. Required documents include a cover letter, CV, research statement, degree certificates and transcripts, details of two academic referees, proof of English language proficiency, and a passport copy. The deadline is 15 November 2026 at 23:59 CET. Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed online on 27 November 2026.