PhD in Global Talent Mobility and Europe’s Strategic Autonomy

The Faculty of Geosciences at Utrecht University has opened one, fully funded, position for a four-year PhD research project on global migration and Europe’s strategic autonomy.

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Your job

Talent is a critical yet scarce resource in contemporary innovation systems. Across Europe, concerns about competitiveness, resilience, and strategic autonomy have renewed attention to the role of highly skilled human capital. At the same time, geopolitical tensions, migration restrictions, and national security considerations may constrain the international mobility of researchers, potentially reshaping global knowledge networks and innovation outcomes.

This PhD project examines how Europe’s strategic innovation ambitions depend on the mobility of global talent, with a particular focus on STEM PhD recipients as key actors in science- and technology-based innovation. The project bridges economic geography and innovation studies to understand how doctoral training, international mobility, and institutional contexts shape where knowledge is created and where it is ultimately translated into technological and economic value.

The project combines large-scale longitudinal data on PhD recipients with complementary sources such as publication and patent data, and aims to enrich these with other sources on individual paths and preferences. The PhD candidate will have the opportunity to develop unique datasets and apply quantitative and mixed-method approaches to address policy-relevant questions at the intersection of innovation, migration, and geography.

Main responsibilities include

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• Designing the research project focusing on topics related to global talent interdependencies and innovation;
  
• Collecting, processing and analysing large-scale data (e.g. publication, patent, and career data);
  
• Writing and publishing research papers in fulfilment of the PhD requirements;
  
• Presenting your research at (inter)national conferences, workshops, and seminars;
  
• Completing a dissertation within four years;
  
• Contributing to the teaching activities of the department.
  

The successful candidate will be based at the Economic Geography Section of the Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, with close collaboration with the Innovation Studies Section at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development. Both groups are leading internationally in their respective disciplines and provide an exciting and collaborative environment, with room to learn and develop professionally at the frontier of academic research.

You will work under the supervision of Dr Burcu Özgün

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Dr Giovanna Capponi

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and Professor Carolina Castaldi.

Your qualities

We expect the PhD candidate to have a strong interest in topics related to innovation, human capital, and international mobility. We welcome applicants from diverse disciplinary backgrounds, including economic geography, economics, sociology, innovation studies, development studies, or related social science fields.

We Are Looking For Candidates With

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• a strong motivation for academic research and curiosity about global talent and innovation systems;
  
• quantitative analytical skills, including experience with data analysis and statistics; experience with web scraping and working with large-scale datasets is an advantage;
  
• interest in combining multiple data sources (e.g. administrative data, patents, publications, surveys, or online data);
  
• a strong interest in interdisciplinary approaches bridging geography and innovation studies;
  
• excellent writing skills, demonstrated through a writing sample such as your Master’s thesis;
  
• ability to work independently and communicate professionally in an international research environment;
  
• proficiency in spoken and written English (C1 level);
  
• motivation to develop teaching skills.
  

Our offer
We Offer

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• a position for 1 year, with an extension to a total of four years upon a successful assessment in the first year, and with the specific intent that it results in a doctorate within this period;
  
• a working week of 36 - 40 hours and a gross monthly salary between € 3.204 and €4.051 in the case of full-time employment (salary scale P under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU));
  
• 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus;
  
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.
  

In addition to the terms of employment laid down in the CAO NU, Utrecht University also offers a range of its own schemes for employees. This includes arrangements for professional development, various types of leave, and options for sports and cultural activities. You can also tailor your employment conditions through our Terms of Employment Options Model. In this way, we encourage you to keep investing in your personal and professional development. For more information, please visit Working at Utrecht University.

About Us

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing our leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major strategic themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability. Sharing science, shaping tomorrow.

Utrecht University’s Faculty of Geosciences studies the Earth: from the Earth’s core to its surface, including man’s spatial and material utilisation of the Earth – always with a focus on sustainability and innovation. With 3,400 students (BSc and MSc) and 720 staff, the faculty is a strong and challenging organisation. The Faculty of Geosciences is organised in four Departments: Earth Sciences, Human Geography & Spatial Planning, Physical Geography, and Sustainable Development.

More information

For more information about this position, please contact Burcu Özgün

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at

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Candidates for this vacancy will be recruited by Utrecht University.

At Utrecht University, we strive to be a place where everyone feels at home. We value colleagues with different backgrounds, perspectives and identities, including differences in culture, religion or ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, neurodiversity, disability and age. We are committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment where everyone can thrive and contribute. Read more about our commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Knowledge security screening can be part of the selection procedures of academic staff. We do this, among other things, to prevent the unwanted transfer of sensitive knowledge and technology.

The first round of interviews will take place in the last week of September 2026.

If you have an international (non-Dutch) Master’s diploma, you will be requested to provide your Bachelor’s and Master’s diplomas as well as the corresponding grade lists (in English) if you are selected for this position.

Note that international candidates that need a visa/work permit for the Netherlands require at least four months processing time after selection and acceptance. This will be arranged with help of the International Service Desk (ISD) of our university. Finding appropriate housing in or near Utrecht is your own responsibility, but the ISD may be able to advise you therewith. Unfortunately, we must warn that it is a tight market at the moment. xnkfpon In case of general questions about working and living in The Netherlands, please consult the Dutch Mobility Portal.