项目介绍

2025年1月21日

The Department of Political Science at the University of Zurich invites applicants for a PhD position in the research group of Dr. Thomas Malang. The PhD student will work in the project entitled Contested Representation of Inequalities in International Cooperation which is part of the University Research Priority Program (URPP) Equality of Opportunity.

Project background
The Contested Representation of Inequalities project seeks a PhD candidate to explore the representation of minority interests in International Organizations (IOs). Specifically, the project focuses on the role of members of parliament (MPs) and their function in representing inequalities in international politics. Through a combination of attendance data, text analysis of summit speeches, and elite interviews with MPs, the research aims to understand how countries from both the Global North and South decide which social and global inequalities are highlighted and politicized in IOs. Additionally, the project will investigate whether this representation has tangible effects on international policy.

The project is part of the second phase of the University Research Priority Program (URPP) Equality of Opportunity. The URPP brings together researchers from Economics, Social Sciences and Law. The program’s overarching goal is to examine the economic and social changes that contribute to inequality and to explore public policies that enhance equality of opportunity. The PhD candidate will be fully integrated in the activities of the transdisciplinary network of URPP researchers, as well as the Department of Political Science IPZ.

Your responsibilities

The PhD student will conduct their own research within the Contested Representation of Inequalities project. This includes the following responsibilities:

• Collaborate in the development and implementation of the research project with the PI
• Conduct a dissertation project within the field of political science and international relations. The dissertation project can draw on the joint project but also leaves room for independent research.
• Participate in the coursework of the Department’s doctoral program
• Contribute to and participate in the intellectual life at the Department and the URPP

Your profile

• Master’s degree in political science or closely related discipline (ideally, the degree should be completed by August 2025)
• Substantive research interest in more than one subfield of political science
• Solid training in social science methods and strong interest in developing methodological skills
• Ambition to produce high-quality research, both independently and in a team
• Additional language skills and exposure to Global south contexts are an advantage (the working language is English)

What we offer

• Employment for 3.5 years (conditional on approval of the dissertation proposal by the end of the first year)
• Salary in accordance with SNF guidelines (gross annual salary starting at approximately 50’000 CHF)
• integration in a leading department with highly motivated and engaged members within a collaborative and supporting working atmosphere
• Opportunity to develop your own dissertation project
• Possibility of teaching in the department (paid additionally and depending on departmental teaching needs)

Information on your application

Place of work
University of Zurich, Department of Political Science, Affolternstrasse 56, 8050 Zurich

Closing date: 3 March 2025
Start of employment: 1 September 2025 (or by agreement)

How to apply
Please upload your application electronically as one pdf-file including:

• Motivation letter (including a short summary of your research interests)
• CV
• Transcripts
• One writing sample (for example a Master thesis chapter, does not need to be published)
• Name of a potential reference (no reference letters are required for the time being)

Candidates invited to an interview are required to submit a short research proposal at a later stage

The IPZ aims to increase the diversity of its members and thus explicitly invites applications from women and other traditionally underrepresented groups.