PhD in Anthropology

University of Oulu; Oulu; On-site; EUR 50,000 - 58,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Buddy Programme

Spouse Network

Wellness Benefit (ePassi)

HR Excellence in Research

Marie-Curie position

Training & mentoring

International secondments

Career development

Job summary

University of Oulu invites applications for a Doctoral Researcher in Anthropology in the Department of Cultural Anthropology, within the Faculty of Humanities. The MITIME network investigates entangled migration, temporality and urban life in Europe, offering international, interdisciplinary doctoral training.

The selected candidate will conduct original ethnographic research at the intersection of migration, temporality and labour, leading to a PhD in Cultural Anthropology, with two secondments

Job description

Faculty of Humanities, History, Culture and Communication Studies The University of Oulu is a multidisciplinary, international research university, with about 4000 employees who produce new knowledge based on high-standards research and provide research based education to build a more sustainable, smarter, and more humane world. The University of Oulu community has about 19,000 people in total. Our northern scientific community operates globally and creates conditions for the emergence of innovations. The University of Oulu is ranked in the top 3% of the world’s universities. All our research, education, and community activities are guided by our university’s values and ethical principles.

a Doctoral Researcher in Anthropology to join the Department of Cultural Anthropology, located within the Faculty of Humanities.

This position is one of four Oulu-based doctoral researcher positions working on MITIME ("Entanglements of Migration and Time in Post-industrial Urban Europe"). MITIME is an EU-funded (MSCA-DN) doctoral programme focusing on temporal dimensions of migration, inequality, and urban life in post-industrial Europe. It offers international, interdisciplinary, and intersectoral training to 15 recruited doctoral researchers across seven partnered European universities. For more information on MITIME, click here.

As a doctoral researcher on MITIME, you will conduct original, interdisciplinary research at the intersection of migration, temporality, and labour, leading to a PhD thesis in Cultural Anthropology. The provisional title of this project is ‘Imagining and Representing Urban Pasts and Futures.’ The project explores how histories and legacies of industrialisation and de-industrialisation, alongside past and present labour migration, shape experiences and imaginaries of post-industrial urban landscapes in Europe. Focusing on a post-industrial setting in Finland and/or Germany, the research will examine how industrial change and shifting urban labour markets shape migrants’ experiences of settlement, belonging, and home-making, as well as processes of urban redevelopment and place-branding. Possible research directions might include, for example, how histories of labour and migration intersect with urban development; how migrants build relationships with local communities and urban labour markets over time; how different understandings of belonging, mobility and temporality shape visions about urban futures; and how municipal and regional actors seek to attract and retain newcomers. Projects may also explore different perspectives and knowledge systems (including Indigenous, translocal, and gender-diverse approaches). The doctoral project is expected to combine multimodal ethnography (such as interviews, participant observation, and arts-based methods) with critical discourse analysis (of materials such as policy documents and branding initiatives). As part of the MITIME Doctoral Network, you will undertake two secondments. At the City of Oulu, you will investigate policies and initiatives relating to labour migration, urban development, and sustainability; at Ruhr University Bochum, you will work with your co-supervisor on policy analysis and mobile methods for documenting the social geographies of migration, labour, and societal change. Fieldwork is expected to focus primarily on Oulu, Finland, and/or Bochum, Germany. However, applicants may propose alternative case-study locations where they can clearly demonstrate their relevance to the project’s research objectives. The project will be supervised by Prof. Roger Norum (University of Oulu) and Dr. Katrin Menke (Ruhr University Bochum, Germany).

What we offer

• Work that matters and a workplace that promotes flexibility and work-life balance.
• Read more about working with us.
• Finland is one of the most livable countries in the world, with a high quality of life, safety, and an excellent education system.
• Read more about living in Oulu.
• Our Buddy Programme and Spouse Network support you and your family in settling into Oulu.
• Wellness benefit ePassi covering sport, culture, and well-being.
• Read more about other staff benefits here.
• We have an HR Excellence in Research -quality label, which is a recognition awarded by the European Commission for the development of researchers’ working conditions and careers.
• A prestigious Marie-Curie position within a dynamic network of universities and societal partners in migration and urban studies.
• A comprehensive training programme combining courses in theory and method, with transferable skills.
• Joint supervision by leading academic experts with interdisciplinary guidance and intellectual support.
• International and intersectoral secondments with non-academic and institutional partners across Europe.
• Strong career-development opportunities across academic, public, and private sectors.
• Structured mentoring, leadership training, and professional development.
• A competitive MSCA salary with mobility and family allowances, and, where applicable, special-needs support.

Salary

The position is fixed-term for 36 months beginning on 1.2.2027. The successful candidate will receive a competitive salary in accordance with the MSCA regulations for Doctoral Candidates.

• Competitive gross salary (living allowance): €3696,72 per month*
• Mobility allowance: €554,69 per month
• Family allowance, if applicable: €515,63 per month

To allow for the difference in cost of living in different EU Member States, the base gross salary of €4010 has been adjusted through the application of a correction coefficient based on the country where the position is based. This means that your final gross salary may be more or less than this amount