PhD Position in Political Theory

A fully-funded, four-year PhD position in political theory at the University of Amsterdam. We are open to research proposals in any area of political theory. We are particularly interested in candidates focusing on practical, epistemological, and normative questions regarding political resistance and power. The PhD supervision team will include Lillian Cicerchia, Paul Raekstad, and Enzo Rossi.

Join us!
The Department of Political Science and the Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research of the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences of the University of Amsterdam are looking for a PhD candidate to conduct doctoral research in political theory within the ‘Transformative Resistance: From Domination to Emancipation” project, directed by Lillian Cicerchia and Paul Raekstad. The project investigates which normative theories are useful for evaluating the appropriateness and success of various strategies of political resistance, relative to political context. We are open to any research proposal in political theory or philosophy broadly connected to those themes.

• Start date: between September 2025 and December 2025 (negotiable).
• The PhD-candidate will work under the supervision of Lillian Cicerchia, Paul Raekstad, and Enzo Rossi.

What are you going to do

• Individual PhD research
• Participate in political theory research seminars
• Participate in general political science research seminars
• Minor administrative tasks (e.g. organising political theory lectures and events)

What do you have to offer
We are looking for an individual who is/has:

• Open to feedback;
• Able to work independently;
• Flexible, pro-active, and collaborative.
• A solid grounding in contemporary political theory/philosophy;
• Background in political science, philosophy, or a cognate field at master’s level;
• Excellent writing and verbal skills in English (Dutch is not required), for the purpose of presenting and publishing work for an international scholarly audience;
• Strong organisational skills, for the purpose of assisting with conferences, workshops, dissemination of research to the general public, and other project activities.

What else do we offer
The University of Amsterdam’s Department of Political Science is ranked among the top-20 political science departments in the world. The Department is part of the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences (FMG), which is the largest educational and research institution in the field of social and behavioural sciences in Europe.

If you are a foreign national employed by the University of Amsterdam (UvA), or an UvA employee posted to another country you may, under certain conditions, be eligible for the ‘30% rule’. This rule allows you to receive part of your salary – up to 30% – as a tax-free allowance, resulting in a higher net income. The allowance is intended to compensate for the additional costs incurred as a result of your temporary stay in another country.

You will be working here
The successful applicants will enrol in the PhD Programme of the Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research (AISSR), and will become a member of the Challenges to Democratic Representation Programme Group of the Department of Political Science. The Programme Group is home to most of the University of Amsterdam’s large group of political theorists and, along with the Department and AISSR, offers an international and interdisciplinary research environment.

Additional information and questions about the vacancy can be obtained from Dr Lillian Cicerchia: l.h.cicerchia@uva.nl

Applications must contain:

• A motivation letter of max. 500 words;
• A 1,000 word research proposal explaining your PhD project idea;
• A full academic CV;
• An official transcript of the grades during your studies as well as your diploma(s);
• The contact details of two references.

Applications must be uploaded before 19 April 2025, 23:59 PMs CET. Applications should mention the vacancy number should contain the documents as an attachment (in one single pdf file).

Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered.

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