Call for Doctoral Contracts
- Actualité Sciences Po
Call for Doctoral Contracts : The International Dimensions and Effects of Populism (IDEoPOP)
The Center for International Studies (CERI) at Sciences Po Paris is seeking to appoint two PhD candidates to join European Union’s Horizon Europe - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions - Doctoral Networks (MSCA-DN).
Location: Paris, France with compulsory mobility inside the network
Duration of the contract: 3 years (1 March 2025 to 1 March 2028)
Expected topics for PhD dissertations
PhD 1: The impacts of populism on diplomatic policymaking
PhD research objectives: Analyzing how populism impacts on leaders’ commitment in diplomacy, diplomatic services (diplomats) and political parties’ positions on diplomacy (both mainstream and populist parties). A special interest will be given to modelling why populist leaders speak loudly but act mainstream in diplomacy, analyzing relationships between populist leaders and professional diplomats.
PhD 2: The special relationships between populist parties in democracies and non-democratic governments abroad
PhD research objectives: Analysing the relations between populist parties (both far right and far left) in democracies with non-democratic states outside the national constituency. A special interest will be given to the relationships between populist parties in the EU and countries such as Russia, China and Venezuela.
About IDEoPOP
IDEoPOP offers training-through-research within a uniquely structured doctoral program imparting academic and complementary professional skills. A multifaceted scholarly training is provided jointly by seven academic partners, where the PhD students are employed: University of Freiburg (Germany), Sciences Po Paris (France), University of Gothenburg (Sweden), Bilkent University (Turkey), University of Genova (Italy), Jagiellonian University (Poland), and University of Bath (UK). Moreover, doctoral candidates will learn how to develop and communicate academic and policy-relevant solutions to the challenges posed by populism in international politics via temporary assignments to renowned think tanks (Institute of International Relations Prague, International Youth Think Tank in Gothenburg, Institute for International Economic Relations in Athens, BRICS Policy Center in Rio de Janeiro, Stiftung Genshagen near Berlin, and Institut Jacques Delors in Paris).
The comprehensive training in IDEoPOP will prepare doctoral candidates for careers in academia, think tanks, government agencies, international organizations, or NGOs dealing with issues of democracy and international cooperation.
Requirements
We seek highly motivated early-stage researchers who hold a Master’s degree in Political Science or a related discipline and possess excellent theoretical and empirical skills. Proficiency in English is a requirement. Doctoral candidates’ recruitment is subject to the mobility rule. Applicants may be nationals of EU Member States, Associated Countries, or any other third country. Additionally, the applicant must not have lived or worked in the country of the recruiting beneficiary for more than 12 months in the 36 months prior to their date of recruitment, excluding short stays such as holidays.
Applicants who hold a doctorate at the date of recruitment are ineligible.
The selected candidates should ideally begin their PhD enrolment/employment in March 2025.
Allowance
The monthly gross salary includes 3400 euros per month Living Allowance, 600 euros Mobility Allowance and 660 euros per month Family Allowance (if applicable). The Living Allowance is adjusted by specific country correction factor. Please note that all compulsory contributions (social security, pension, insurances, taxes etc.) to be borne by the employer and employee shall be deducted from the abovementioned amounts. These deductions are done according to French labor law.
Applications
You must submit your application online by Monday 2 December 2024.
The selection committee will only consider complete applications.
The PhD selected will join the Sciences Po School of Research program.
The conditions for applying for a doctorate at Sciences Po are available on the School of Research’s website at: https://www.sciencespo.fr/ecole-doctorale/fr/content/ladmission-en-these...
The following documents are requested for the application:
- Choose the international relations doctoral program and indicate explicitly that you apply for the IDEoPOP scholarship;
- A cover letter shortly describing motivation and research interests;
- A research project in PDF or Word format describing how you would approach the PhD topic (2,000 to 5,000 words maximum);
- A summary of the thesis proposal (2 pages) in PDF or Word format;
- A CV summarizing education, academic work and, if relevant, publications;
- An Identity document;
- A copy of you Master degree;
- A PDF copy of your Master dissertation, if completed (even before defence);
- Two letters of recommendation.
Deadline: Applications must be sent before midnight on December 2, 2024.
Candidates will be invited to a zoom interview conducted by a panel made up of professors from the International Relations Department School of Research, as well as a representative of the IDEoPOP Network.
For more information about the Sciences Po doctoral school, see: http://www.sciencespo.fr/ecole-doctorale/fr
For more information about the positions, contact:
Professor Christian Lequesne, Email: christian.lequesne@sciencespo.fr
Join CERI!
- Actualité Sciences Po
Sciences Po opens two positions in political science, in
Foreign and/or security policy of Russia
&
Politics of the ocean: markets, ecology and conflicts
JOB DESCRIPTION
- Status: Assistant Professor, Tenure Track – Private law contract with Sciences Po
- Profile: Foreign and/or security policy of Russia
- Discipline: Political science
- Job starting date: September 2025
This position, focusing on Russian foreign and/or security policy, requires a dual academic expertise in International Relations and Russia. While the research theme remains open, Sciences Po seeks a candidate with specialized proficiency in International Relations (IR), capable of contributing to IR theoretical, empirical, and methodological debates, coupled with a robust regional expertise. The candidates should demonstrate their ability to contextualize one's work within the broader field of social sciences and a solid knowledge of Russia, both in terms of its history and language. The position will be based at Sciences Po’s Center for International Studies (CERI), which has a large pool of researchers working on international relations and areas studies.
Through their publications, candidates must demonstrate their ability to conduct innovative and internationally recognized (or potentially recognized) research. They should also showcase their engagement in international academic networks and willingness to contribute to CERI's ongoing research programs. CERI prioritizes candidates with publications in international academic journals and/or with recognized university presse.
The capacity to secure external funding for research programs will be considered an additional asset.
Full description and application here
JOB DESCRIPTION
- Status: Assistant professor, tenure track - Private law contract
- Profile: Politics of the ocean: markets, ecology and conflicts
- Discipline : Political Science
- Job starting date : September 2025
We are looking for a candidate working on the political and ecological issues of the oceans, seas and coasts, in an innovative way. The environmental issues specific to these areas are at the heart of many situations of violence and conflict, linked to the predation of resources and their entry into trade circuits, which raises both economic and political issues. Possible research topics include, but are not limited to, practices conceptualised as ‘blue grabbing’ to indicate the dispossession of local communities of resources linked to the sea, the struggles and conflicts between protection, conservation, exploitation and grabbing of maritime and coastal spaces, the politicisation and judicialisation of pollution and contamination issues, as well as the claims and practices of ‘blue justice’, involving a variety of actors: local communities, multinationals, NGOs, national and international public actors and institutions, as well as groups involved in piracy practices.
In methodological terms, the research programme is expected to be based on an expertise in one or more fields (particularly in the global South) as a starting point for comparative reflection.
In terms of discipline, the profile is open-ended: in addition to the sub-disciplines of political science (particularly comparative politics and international relations), other social science disciplines inclined to dialogue with political science are welcome, such as anthropology, geography, sociology and history. An interest in interdisciplinary openness towards maritime environmental science disciplines will be considered an asset.
States and the Making of Others
- Actualité Sciences Po
Analysis: Is Israel Targetting the United Nations Peacekeepers in Lebanon, and Why?
- Blue Helmet by Anjo ten Kate for Shutterstock
Soviet rule, Islam and Azerbaijan.
- Actualité Sciences Po