Two PhD positions SNSF project “Governing the Party: How the Chinese Communist Party Holds Itself Together”

Develop and complete an independent doctoral dissertation within one of the project's four areas of research, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Jean Christopher Mittelstaedt

Develop, with guidance, large datasets from published Chinese-language sources for the dissertation, and contribute to the project's shared analytical framework

Publish findings from the dissertation in peer-reviewed journals and contribute to co-authored outputs of the project

Conduct fieldwork, archival or interview research where the dissertation requires it and conditions allow

Take part in the research activities of the team and present work at conferences

Enrol in a doctoral programme of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Zurich

Assist with the organisation of workshops and with limited administrative tasks of the project

The University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest university, offers a range of attractive positions in various subject areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and currently 12 professional apprenticeship streams the University offers an inspiring working environment on cutting-edge research and top-class education. Put your talent and skills to work with us. Find out more about UZH as an employer!

• An excellent MA degree (or equivalent) in political science, sociology, Chinese studies, history or a related discipline, completed by the start of employment

• Proficiency in modern Chinese sufficient to work independently with Chinese-language primary sources

• A serious interest in political institutions and organisations, and the ability to engage with theory in comparative politics, political sociology, organisation studies or the study of ideology

• Training in at least one of the following: qualitative or interpretive methods, quantitative methods, computational text analysis. We do not expect candidates to arrive with all of these: the willingness to acquire new methods matters more than a complete toolkit at the outset

• Excellent written and spoken English; German is an asset but not required

• The ability to work independently as well as in a team, and a commitment to a shared project over four years