项目介绍

2025年4月2日

Lund University was founded in 1666 and is repeatedly ranked among the world’s top universities. The University has around 47 000 students and more than 8 800 staff based in Lund, Helsingborg and Malmö. We are united in our efforts to understand, explain and improve our world and the human condition.

Lund University welcomes applicants with diverse backgrounds and experiences. We regard gender equality and diversity as a strength and an asset.

Lund University School of Economics and Management is one of eight faculties within Lund University. More than 4 000 students and 450 researchers, teachers and other staff are engaged here in training and research in economic history, business administration, business law, informatics, economics, statistics and research policy.

Lund University School of Economics and Management is accredited by the three largest and most influential accreditation institutes for business schools: EQUIS, AMBA and AACSB. Only just over 100 business schools in the world have achieved this prestigious Triple Crown accreditation.

The Department of Economic History is a research-intensive department that employs about 100 people: researchers, teachers, technical/administrative staff, and PhD. candidates. The department has a large PhD programme and co-ordinates three international Master programmes. The Department has a well established reputation for wide-ranging research with an emphasis on long-term processes, and with economic theory and quantitative methods as important methodological tools. Strong research areas at the department include economic growth and structural change, innovation, energy and sustainability, development economics, and economic demography, as well as financial history and education and the labour market. More information is available at the Department’s website: www.lusem.lu.se/organisation/department-economic-history. 

Assigned duties 
Those appointed to doctoral studentship shall primarily devote themselves to their studies, aimed to result in a doctoral degree. Work carried out during the studentship consists of participation in research projects as well as successful participation in postgraduate (third-cycle) courses. Those appointed to doctoral studentships may also work, to a limited extent, with educational tasks and administration at the Department of Economic history. However, duties of this kind may not comprise of more than 20 per cent of a fulltime post. 

The PhD position is linked to the research project ‘Birthing Inequity: Legacies of Colonial Maternal Health and Child Welfare Services in Africa’. The PhD student will work in this project in collaboration with other project members. 

Eligibility / Admission requirements 
A person meets the general admission requirements for third-cycle courses and study programmes if he or she has:

• Been awarded a second-cycle degree; or 
• Satisfied the requirements for courses comprising of at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second-cycle; or 
• Acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad. 
  (Higher Education Ordinance, Chapter 7, Section 39) 

Specific admission requirements for doctoral studies in each subject are specified in the relevant general syllabus, available at Doctoral studies | Lund University School of Economics and Management (LUSEM) 

Other requirements 
A proficient level of English is required in both written and oral communication. Demonstrated quantitative skills are required and good abilities in data management and statistical programming (STATA/R) are considered as merits.

Basis of assessment 
Admittance of a doctoral student is based on an assessment of the candidate’s ability to benefit from third-cycle studies, see the general syllabus for third-cycle studies, available at Doctoral studies | Lund University School of Economics and Management (LUSEM).

The applicant’s ability to benefit from third-cycle studies and research will primarily be assessed on the basis of academic results from the first and second cycle.

Applicant’s general competence:   

• Quality and content of previous written work, such as a Master’s thesis. 
• Ability to participate actively in the Department’s research environment. 
• Ability to perform independent scientific work. 
• Experience and interest in using econometric methods, GIS, and AI tools for data transcription.
• Experience or interest in working with survey data e.g., DHS.
• Proficiency in written and oral communication. 
• Relevant educational background, for example in economic history, demography, economics, geography or global/public health. 
• Other relevant experiences for third-cycle education, such as work experience. 

We are seeking applicants with a strong commitment to understanding the drivers of long-run economic development in Africa, particularly those with quantitative skills, experience with survey data, and a keen interest in health-related issues. 

Project 
This research project investigates how colonial-era investments in maternal healthcare continue to shape health outcomes today. Despite progress, maternal and infant mortality remain high in parts of Africa, with significant inequalities in healthcare access and trust. By combining historical records with contemporary survey data, the project traces the evolution of state-provided maternal health services across different colonies. It examines the long-term impact of these policies and investments on fertility trends, population dynamics, and health disparities. The PhD candidate will contribute to uncovering these historical connections and their implications for contemporary maternal and child health challenges in the region.

Terms of employment 
Fixed-term employment, maximum four years (fulltime studies). 

Only those admitted to third-cycle courses and study programmes at a higher education may be appointed to doctoral student. 

For regulations concerning employment of doctoral students etc, see the Higher Education Ordinance, Chapter 5, Sections 1-7. 

For regulations concerning admission to third-cycle courses and study programs, see the Higher Education Ordinance, Chapter 5, Sections 34-41. 

Application procedure 
Please use Lund University job application portal when applying: Work at Lund University | Lund University

The application must be written in English. 

The application should contain: 

Personal letter in which the applicant gives a short description of him/herself and his/her research interests and its relevance for the project, maximum 3 pages.  Curriculum vitae.  Grade transcripts.  Master thesis or similar degree projects.  If appropriate, documented language skills relevant for third-cycle studies.  Other documents that the applicant wishes to submit.