Postdoctoral Positions in Migration Studies and Temporary Labour Migration (Canada/Japan) University of Zurich in Switzerland

Call for applications for two postdoctoral positions in Migration Studies at the University of Zurich, within the SNSF project “Provisional Futures: Migrants as wanted workers, yet temporary residents” (TEMP MIGRATION).

The positions are based at the Department of Social Anthropology and Cultural Studies (ISEK) and focus on temporary labour migration in IT, health care, and construction across three migration regimes: Canada, Switzerland, and Japan. The project uses an ethnographically informed, multi-sited approach and combines independent work with collaborative theory-building.

Each postdoc will be based in Zurich, conduct extended fieldwork abroad, and lead either the Canada or Japan work package. The Canada postdoc is hosted by the Global Migration Institute, University of Toronto; the Japan postdoc is hosted by the Institute of Asian Migrations, Waseda University.

Research focus: temporary migration, immigrant integration, labour market institutions, migration regimes, socio-cultural diversification, and future work. The successful candidate will contribute to publications, co-edit a special issue, co-organize a stakeholder workshop, and provide informal mentorship to a PhD student and research assistant.

Eligibility: applicants must hold a PhD in Anthropology, Sociology, Geography, Migration Studies, or a related social science discipline by the start date. Strong qualitative research experience is required, including in-depth interviews and ethnographic observation. For the Japan-focused position, fluency in spoken and written Japanese is required.

Terms: 80% appointment, 3-year contract, SNSF salary scale. Start date: 1 February 2027.

Deadline: 31 July 2026.

How to apply: submit a single PDF with CV, motivation letter, publication list, writing sample, and PhD certificate via the University of Zurich jobs portal.