Two Doctoral Researchers (Phd Students), In Critical Border Studies

The Karelian Institute of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies invites applications for two Doctoral Researcher (PhD Student) positions in Critical Border Studies on the Joensuu Campus. The positions will begin on 1 October 2026. Read more below and submit your application no later than 30 June 2026.

These three-year positions are intended for scholars who seek to develop their expertise in critical border studies (broadly defined), while demonstrating the potential to advance the field both thematically and in terms of methodology and theory.

Positions

The Doctoral Researchers will join a research team focusing on critical border studies, which is funded by the Research Council of Finland through the PROFI 9 allocation. The positions are especially suitable for persons holding a Master’s or a Licentiate degree in history, cultural studies, geography, sociology, public or social policy, political science, international relations or some other applicable field. The Doctoral Researchers will be part of a dynamic and interdisciplinary community exploring contemporary transformations of borders and boundaries. The PROFI 9 research team encourages innovative thematic, theoretical and methodological approaches, especially those examining processes of border-making and border-transcending.

The main duty of the Doctoral Researchers is

• to conduct independent research in accordance with an approved research proposal.
• to contribute to project teams led by a professor specialised in critical border studies and other members of the Karelian Institute.

The positions are based at the Karelian Institute, but they support the UEF’s Cultural Encounters, Mobilities and Borders (BOMOCULT) Research Community that brings together scholars from various disciplines to explore questions of mobility, identity, and geopolitical change through critical and interdisciplinary perspectives. The Research Community provides a vibrant environment for multidisciplinary collaboration, methodological exchange, and the development of innovative research. The Doctoral Researchers will work at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies on the Joensuu Campus.

Salary

The positions are filled for a three-year term, with the start date no later than 1 October 2026. The positions are filled for a fixed term due to them pertaining to a specific funding programme.

The salary of the positions is based on the salary system for the teaching and research staff of Finnish universities. The salary consists of a job-related salary element and a personal salary element. In these positions, the job-related salary element is based on levels 2-4 of the job requirement level chart (EUR 2,331.67-2,907,24) per month, and the personal salary element is 6–50% of the job-related salary element. In the position of a Doctoral Researcher, the salary is determined based on the stage of doctoral research and doctoral studies, as well as on personal performance.

A trial period is applied to new members of the university staff.

Requirements

• The persons to be appointed to the Doctoral Researcher positions are required to hold a suitable higher university degree or to have suitable foreign education qualifying for equivalent university studies in the country concerned.
• Language skills that support the applicants’ field of research. No knowledge of Finnish is necessary, but a good command of the English language is required.
• The positions can only be filled by someone who does not yet have the right to pursue doctoral studies at the University of Eastern Finland and is planning to pursue their first doctoral degree.
• The persons to be appointed must have a valid right to pursue postgraduate studies at the Doctoral Programme of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies before starting the employment relationship. Those selected must then separately apply for the right to pursue postgraduate studies in the Doctoral Programme of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies.

Evaluation

The applications meeting all the eligibility requirements will be sent for evaluation. The applicants are to present a concise (max. 5 pages) research proposal. Applications will be evaluated according to a) the excellence of the research proposal, b) earlier academic performance, c) the additional value to the PROFI 9 funded research team and d) international orientation.

What we can offer you

• Cutting-edge research, research training and career development as part of the PROFI 9 funded research initiative on Critical Border Studies exploring themes such as borders, regions, border areas and trans-border development, multilayered security, identity, and territoriality.
• An inspiring international and creative, participatory and engaging research environment in a well-established research institute and university research community.
• The opportunity for international collaboration as part of a research team.
• A wide variety of support services at UEF.
• Work that matters and a workplace that promotes work-life balance.
• The university’s occupational health insurance. The Finnish government also provides benefits to residents and their families, including access to the national healthcare system and high-quality, affordable childcare and school services.
• Staff benefits of the University of Eastern Finland, including comprehensive occupational health care, versatile staff training opportunities, affordable campus restaurant lunches and Sykettä sports services.

Please read more in the Work at UEF section on our website.

Enjoy your life in Finland! Known for its cleanliness, welfare know-how, modern technology and superb education system, Finland is an exotic and safe country to work in. Please visit the Life in Finland section on our website to learn more.

How to apply?

Submit your application with appendices in English by using our electronic application form no later than 30 June 2026 by 24:00 (midnight) Finnish time (UTC+3). The application is required to contain the following appendices that adhere to the guidelines of the Doctoral Programme of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies:

• CV (Template for CV, TENK web page)
• a list of publications (Instructions, Research Council of Finland Web page)
• a research proposal (max. 5 pages) that follows the given structure of the doctoral programme
• a motivation letter including research ideas connected to your research focus
• a confirmation letter by the intended main supervisor at the Karelian Institute
• a copy of the diploma and transcript of academic records proving the applicant’s eligibility to pursue postgraduate studies
• copies of certificates of language proficiency, if not indicated in the academic degree certificates/diplomas.
• The applicant may also include other documents to demonstrate their merits for the position (e.g., letters of recommendation).

If your degree certificate is not in English, Finnish, or Swedish, you must provide official English translations of your degree certificate documents. All translations must be issued by the awarding educational institution or an authorised translator. Each page of the official translation must bear the translator’s stamp and/or signature. Official translations must be accurate translations of the original documents. Translations made by the applicants themselves will not be accepted.

The appointment to the Doctoral Researcher positions will be conditional until the applicants have been granted the right to pursue doctoral studies at the University of Eastern Finland.

Questions?

For more information on the position, please contact the Head of the Karelian Institute Petri Kahila (petri.kahila@uef.fi, +358 40 411 8445) or the Vice Head of the Karelian Institute Joni Virkkunen (joni.virkkunen@uef.fi, +358 50 442 4469).

For further information relating to the application procedure, please contact HR-Specialist Airi Leppänen, airi.leppanen@uef.fi.

Kaksi väitöskirjatutkijan tehtävää

Haemme kahta väitöskirjatutkijaa Itä-Suomen yliopiston Joensuun kampukselle, Karjalan tutkimuslaitokselle työskentelemään kriittisen rajatutkimuksen (Critical Border Studies) teemassa. Tehtävä kuuluu Suomen Akatemian rahoittamaan PROFI 9-tutkimuskokonaisuuteen ja yliopiston Cultural Encounters, Mobilities and Borders (BOMOCULT) -tutkimusyhteisöön.

Tehtävät sijoittuvat yhteiskuntatieteiden ja kauppatieteiden tiedekuntaan ja alkavat viimeistään 1.10.2026. Tehtävät täytetään kolmen vuoden määräajaksi. Tehtävien tehtäväkohtainen palkanosa on vaativuustasoluokittelussa tasolla 2–4 (2 331,67–2 907,24 euroa). Lisäksi maksetaan henkilökohtaiseen suoriutumiseen perustuvaa palkanosaa (6–50 %). Tehtävissä edellytetään hyvää englannin kielen taitoa.

Lue tarkemmat tiedot tehtävistä ja hakuohjeet yllä olevasta englanninkielisestä ilmoituksesta. Jätäthän hakemuksesi englanniksi. Hakuaika tehtäviin päättyy 30.6.2026 klo 24.00.

The Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies operates on two campuses of the University of Eastern Finland – in Joensuu and Kuopio. The faculty trains experts in the fields of history, geography, economics and business administration, law, social sciences, and social and health management. The faculty's research is closely linked to the research areas identified in the university's strategy. The faculty has 4,480 Bachelor’s and Master’s degree students and approximately 500 postgraduate students actively pursuing their studies. The faculty has 550 staff members.

At the Karelia Institute, we conduct interdisciplinary basic and applied research in humanities and social sciences and offer doctoral education in interdisciplinary border studies. We work in close collaboration with various research areas of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies. Our thematic research areas are: Regional development and rural studies, Ethnicity and culture, and Borders and Russia. The Karelia Institute was founded in 1971, and it currently employs around 70 experts.

The University of Eastern Finland (UEF) is the most multidisciplinary university in Finland. Our university employs approximately 3,200 employees, and our community includes approximately 17,000 degree students and 16,000 adult education students. Our campuses are located in Joensuu and Kuopio. We represent the world’s cutting edge of research in many fields and produce research-based knowledge, which is made openly available to benefit everyone. Learn more about our university at www.uef.fi/en. Read also about UEF as a working community and employer and the career stories of our employees.

Työsopimuksen voimassaolo: määräaikainen työsopimus | Työsuhteen luonne: kokoaikainen | Paikkojen lukumäärä: 1 | Työllisyysaste: 100 | Paikkakunta: Joensuu | Maakunta: Pohjois-Karjala | Maa: Finland | Ilmoitusnumero: 690/01.01.03/2026 | Julkaistu: 2026-05-19 | Haku päättyy: 2026-06-30