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PhD position in Peace and Development Research focusing on host countries' responses to transnational repression

Peace and Development Research at Gothenburg University is a successful interdisciplinary research environment. The research environment consists of approximately 50 researchers who use a broad selection of approaches to research various themes within peace and development in different regions of the world. These themes include, but are not limited to, conflicts, security, gender, migration, human rights, global political economy, regional and global governance, and resistance.

Peace and Development Research at the Department of Global Political Studies, Gothenburg University, is advertising a PhD position focusing on host states' responses to transnational repression. By this is meant, in a broad sense, authoritarian regimes' attempts to punish, deter, undermine, and silence activism in the diaspora. The PhD project will be carried out within the framework of an international research project investigating transnational repression (TNR) and host states' responses to this in the Nordic-Baltic region. Within this framework, the PhD student will contribute to a work package focusing on how norms related to TNR are translated into legal and policy-related measures in host states. With a comparative perspective on two to three Nordic-Baltic countries (Sweden, Norway, and/or Estonia), the PhD student can, for example, study dimensions such as:

• the level of awareness among officials working with law enforcement, border control, migration, and/or cyber security.
• host states' proactive work towards migrants and diasporas who are particularly vulnerable.
• forms of collaboration between state authorities and civil society organizations.
• procedures for reporting incidents of TNR.
• investigation and prosecution of perpetrators.
• and/or other topics relevant to TNR.

Responsibilities

The purpose of the doctoral education is to acquire the knowledge and skills required to conduct independent research within peace and development research. The doctoral education comprises one year of course work and three years of dissertation work, resulting in a thesis that should constitute a significant and independent contribution to the field of research. The knowledge and skills acquired during the education should be useful for postdoctoral research or other qualified professional work. The doctoral education comprises four years of full-time study and leads to a PhD degree. The PhD student is expected to work in Gothenburg as part of the project group and commence both course work and project-related work during the first year. Admission latest by January 2027.

The applicant must have very good ability to express themselves orally and in writing in English. In addition, the applicant must have good knowledge of the language or languages relevant to the case study countries that the applicant chooses to focus on.

As part of your PhD employment, you may have departmental service duties to a maximum of 20% of full-time, distributed over the entire period of study, which in that case generates a corresponding extension of the study period. Departmental service duties usually include teaching at undergraduate and advanced levels, but may also include research and administration.

For further information, qualifications, and eligibility requirements, as well as to apply for the position, see the full advertisement at:

https://www.gu.se/om-universitetet/jobba-hos-oss/lediga-anstallningar (https://www.gu.se/om-universitetet/jobba-hos-oss/lediga-anstallningar)

Application deadline: August 14, 2026

The University works actively for a working environment with equal conditions and values the qualities that diversity brings to the operations. The University applies individual salary setting. According to the National Archives' regulations, the University is required to keep application documents for two years after the appointment decision. If you as an applicant specifically request your documents back, they will be returned when the two years have passed; otherwise, they will be shredded. To staffing and recruitment agencies and to you who are salespeople: Gothenburg University hires a procured advertising agency in connection with the recruitment of staff. We kindly but firmly decline direct contact with staffing and recruitment agencies as well as sellers of job advertisements.