Early-Stage Researcher – PhD Student (m/f/d) – Refugees’ Political Agency & State Perceptions

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Early-Stage Researcher – PhD Student (m/f/d) – Refugees’ Political Agency & State Perceptions

The University for Continuing Education Krems specializes in part-time academic continuing education. As a public university for continuing education, it works with its expertise in teaching and research to overcome societal challenges and tailors its study programs to address them. With nearly 7,500 students coming from 103 countries, the University for Continuing Education Krems combines its many years of experience in university-based continuing education with innovation to provide outstanding quality in research and teaching at an international level. Situated 60 km from Vienna in the alluring UNESCO world heritage region Wachau, Campus Krems is a highly attractive location.

The following position is available to strengthen our team of the Migration and Globalisation Department at the Faculty of Business and Globalisation:

Early-Stage Researcher – PhD Student (m/f/d) – Refugees’ Political Agency & State Perceptions

30 hrs./week

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Job Description

The UWK Department for Migration and Globalisation is looking for a doctoral researcher to undertake qualitative research on refugees’ political agency and perceptions of the state. You will be part of a new European Research Council-funded project entitled “RESTATE: Refugees’ Political Participation and State-(Re)Making in Displacement”, led by Dr. Lea Müller-Funk.

RESTATE investigates how refugees perceive and engage with the state throughout their displacement journeys, and how these perceptions shape their roles as political actors. Centring refugees’ political agency, the project aims to: (1) provide a dynamic understanding of refugees’ experiences and interactions with the state; (2) discern which forms of state violence erode trust in state institutions and potentially incite political resistance; (3) theorise the conditions of refugees’ political participation throughout their displacement trajectories; and (4) theorise the implications of refugees’ political participation in both origin and host states for processes of ‘state-making’ – attempts to fulfil key government functions such as protection, justice, and the provision of services. Employing a comparative mixed-methods and multi-sited approach, the project studies displacement from three civil-war states (Afghanistan, South Sudan and Syria) in four major host states (Iran, Turkey, Uganda, and Germany). The project will collect a cross-national survey, life histories, online interviews, and a compilation of humorous representations of the state. The team consists of the Principal Investigator (PI), two postdoctoral researchers, a PhD researcher, a project manager, and local research assistants.

The PhD researcher will focus on the Syrian case study. There is room, within this framework, to shape the PhD project in line with your own interests. You will be conducting qualitative fieldwork in Syria (online), Istanbul (Turkey), and Berlin (Germany) together with the PI and a postdoctoral researcher. You will also draw on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to collect jokes, cartoons and other humorous representations of the state.

• Developing a research proposal and fieldwork plan for your PhD, taking into consideration ethics and data management procedures of the university and the European Research Council.
• Planning and conducting physical qualitative fieldwork (life history interviews) in Istanbul and Berlin over a period of six months, online qualitative fieldwork (semi-directive online interviews and social media analysis).
• Writing a cumulative PhD (3 journal articles) and co-authoring 1-2 publications (e.g. working paper, Methodological Handbook chapter, journal article).
• Participating in project team meetings and research cluster meetings and contributing to the organization of events and workshops.
• Presenting work-in-progress at international workshops, conference panels, and to colleagues within the department and the university.

Your profile

We are looking for someone who is excited and motivated to do a PhD project based on qualitative fieldwork in Syria, Turkey and Germany, and in a team context comparing across conflict settings. Except for the fieldwork periods, the position requires residence in Krems or the surrounding region (e.g. Vienna).

We require evidence of the following qualifications for the application:

• A completed university master’s degree in Anthropology, Geography, Sociology or in related interdisciplinary fields such as migration studies, preferably completed with distinction
• Working knowledge of migration and/or refugee studies or experience in civil society organizations working with migrants and/or refugees
• Prior knowledge about the Syrian conflict and context
• Demonstrable experience with and passion for qualitative research methods
• Strong analytical and writing skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills, ability to work in a team and independently
• Excellent organizational skills and motivation and ability to meet project milestones/deadlines
• Advanced English language competency (speaking and writing for academic contexts) (min. C1)
• Fluency in Levantine Arabic (min. C1)

In addition, the following criteria are desirable:

• A reflexive approach towards your work
• Previous experience in a research project
• Experience with biographical methods or ethnography, preferably with migrants and/or refugees
• Knowledge of quantitative methods
• Language skills in another language of the case studies of the project (Dari, Dinka, Nuer)

In this role you will learn to synthesize qualitative research and compare across methods and across origin and host contexts, while developing your data collection, writing and teamwork skills. The PhD programme in Migration Studies at our department is a platform for collaboration and exchange between the different disciplines, providing a fertile learning environment and actively supporting PhD candidates in the field of migration studies, thereby contributing to the establishment and consolidation of this interdisciplinary research field. Seen from a European and global perspective, the interdisciplinary PhD program Migration Studies is unique in its way in Austria, complementing the existing PhD programs at Austrian universities. As a PhD candidate in our department, you will benefit from a supervisory team of two internal supervisors and one external supervisor, who will closely follow and support your work. The coursework comprises 30 ECTS points and includes the PhD Colloquia, courses on Research Methods, Selected Research Areas in Migration Studies and Complementary Subjects such as Science Communication and Research Exchange.

• Part-time (30 hours/week) initially limited to three years. Another extension might be possible upon the availability of remaining funding.
• You will be entitled to 25 vacation days and additional public holidays per year (full-time basis).
• Apart from fieldwork periods, possibility of home office and mobile working (max. 42% of working hours).
• Possibility to apply for a commuting allowance.
• Innovative and modern working environment at the Campus Krems.
• Extensive benefits such as very good further training opportunities as part of our own study programs, a wide range of company health promotion programs and the University Sports Institute (USI).
• We also provide the space and facilities for your personal and professional development. We facilitate this by offering further opportunities to enhance your skills through participating in trainings and summer schools.

Informal Q&A Session – Get to Know the Project
Are you interested in this position but still have questions? For more information about the project, the recruitment process, and the PhD programme, there will be an informal online information session on Monday, 8th of September 2025 at 12h30am-14h30pm CET on Zoom. Please register here if you are interested in participating: https://donau-uni.zoom.us/meeting/register/f8hZgqsiTtSg5srJPkRdiQ

For procedural questions regarding the application and recruitment procedure, please contact Adriana Harm (Project Manager) at [emailprotected].

• Motivation letter (max. 3 pages) clearly addressing the following questions:
  • What are your motivations for doing a PhD?
  • How does this PhD position fit in with your previous experience and your aspirations?
  • Which idea do you have in mind for your PhD project within RESTATE? How would you tailor your ideas for your PhD project within the RESTATE project to your specific interests, networks, and skills?
• An academic writing sample (e.g. a chapter from your master’s thesis you find particularly relevant for your application / PhD project)
• A research proposal (3000 words max.) outlining a preliminary idea for the PhD project
• Contact information of 2 referees (at least one academic referee - e.g. Master’s supervisor)

The first interviews will take place online via Zoom in mid/end-October 2025. The second interview for shortlisted candidates will take place around three weeks later.A reference check will be part of the second stage of the application procedure.

The University for Continuing Education Krems sees high innovation potential in the diversity of its employees and is committed to diversity as a guiding principle. We therefore explicitly invite people with disabilities and/or chronic illnesses who meet the required profile criteria to apply for the position.

Danube University Krems is the university for continuing education. Its courses are specifically oriented toward the needs of working professionals.