Two Fully Funded PhD Positions in Critical Border Studies at the University of Eastern Finland University of Eastern Finland in

Call for applications for two fully funded PhD positions in Critical Border Studies at the University of Eastern Finland, based at the Karelian Institute on the Joensuu Campus in Finland.

The positions are part of the PROFI 9 research initiative and the BOMOCULT Research Community, with a strong interdisciplinary focus on borders and border-making, mobility and migration, identity and territoriality, geopolitics and security, and trans-border development. Successful candidates will join an international research environment and contribute to independent doctoral research in critical border studies.

Eligible applicants should hold a Master’s or Licentiate degree in fields such as International Relations, Political Science, Sociology, Geography, History, Cultural Studies, or a related discipline. The call is especially suitable for candidates interested in innovative thematic, theoretical, and methodological approaches to border studies.

Funding: The positions are three-year, full-time, funded PhD appointments. Salary is based on the Finnish university salary scale, with a job-related salary element of EUR 2,331.67–2,907.24/month plus a personal salary component of 6–50%. Additional benefits include occupational healthcare and staff welfare services.

Requirements: Good command of English is required, and no Finnish language skills are necessary. Applicants must not already have the right to pursue doctoral studies at UEF and must be planning their first doctoral degree. A valid right to pursue postgraduate studies at the Doctoral Programme of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies is required before employment begins.

Deadline: 30 June 2026 at 24:00 Finnish time. Start date: no later than 1 October 2026.

How to apply: Submit the application online with CV, publication list, research proposal (max. 5 pages), motivation letter, supervisor confirmation letter, diploma and transcript, and language certificates if applicable. Use official translations for any degree documents not in English, Finnish, or Swedish.