Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences – Maastricht University
Deadline: August 31, 2025
Maastricht University is seeking a highly motivated PhD candidate to join an interdisciplinary team of migration researchers. The project focuses on entrepreneurship programs for refugees and their effects on refugee livelihoods in the Global South. Candidates with a passion for ethnographic research, independent inquiry, and social impact are encouraged to apply.
About the Role
The PhD candidate will undertake in-depth ethnographic research on refugee entrepreneurship and other life-sustaining programs in protracted displacement contexts. Embedded in the Globalisation, Transnational, and Development (GTD) research group at Maastricht University’s Department of Society Studies, the candidate will explore how self-reliance programs for refugees intersect with bordering practices that influence experiences of displacement.
Refugees often face a paradox: they are viewed as burdens in host countries while being restricted from pursuing livelihoods that could foster self-reliance. Traditional “durable solutions” such as resettlement or local integration remain largely unattainable, prompting institutions like UNHCR and other state and non-state actors to promote economic inclusion and self-reliance initiatives. This research examines how these programs—particularly entrepreneurship and youth employment initiatives—both enable refugees’ autonomy and inadvertently enforce bordering structures that maintain displacement conditions.
Research Focus
The PhD project will investigate programs that support refugees’ self-reliance, with attention to youth, who constitute the majority of the displaced population. Fieldwork will explore participants’ experiences, trainers’ perspectives, and funders’ roles in shaping these programs. The candidate will critically engage with:
- Youth-Centric Perspective: How refugee entrepreneurship programs affect young refugees’ capacity to survive and thrive amid prolonged displacement.
- Urban-Refugee Perspective: How state and non-state actors design programs to integrate refugees into informal urban economies.
- Border-Making Perspective: How programs may serve as mechanisms of governance, keeping refugees in protracted situations without formal recognition.
Fieldwork will be conducted in a case study country in the Global South, preferably in Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, or Sub-Saharan Africa. Comparative, multi-scalar ethnographic research will include interviews, participant observation, and archival analysis.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop and implement a research and fieldwork plan, adhering to ethical and data management protocols.
- Conduct ethnographic fieldwork over up to 12 months in the chosen research location.
- Engage in archival research related to refugee entrepreneurship, self-reliance initiatives, youth empowerment, and border management.
- Write a doctoral dissertation and contribute to 1–2 academic publications.
- Participate in research group meetings, workshops, and international conferences.
- Integrate fieldwork and archival findings, developing analytical, writing, and collaborative research skills.
Candidate Requirements
- Completed Master’s degree in Anthropology, Geography, Sociology, or related interdisciplinary fields such as Migration Studies, Humanitarian Studies, or International Development.
- Demonstrable experience and enthusiasm for qualitative research, particularly ethnography.
- Strong analytical, organizational, and academic writing skills.
- Advanced English proficiency.
- Knowledge of a relevant language for fieldwork.
- Ability to reside in Maastricht, with fieldwork conducted abroad.
Employment Conditions
- Full-time (1.0 FTE) employment with an initial 12-month contract; renewable for three years subject to positive evaluation.
- Competitive salary, graded according to the UFO profile PhD: €3,059–€3,881 per month, with an 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% year-end bonus.
- Flexible working hours, partial remote work options, commuting and internet allowance, 29 vacation days plus four additional public holidays, and opportunities for personalized employment conditions through the CAO choice model.
- Access to professional development, training programs, wellness initiatives, and extensive sports facilities.
Application Process
Applicants should submit:
- CV (max. 2 pages)
- Motivation letter (max. 2 pages) addressing:
- Motivation for pursuing a PhD
- Fit with previous experience and career aspirations
- Tailoring of the PhD theme to personal interests, networks, and skills
- Writing sample (e.g., Master’s thesis chapter)
- Contact details for two referees
Shortlisted candidates will be asked to submit a 1,000-word research proposal and participate in interviews scheduled for September 24–25, 2025.
About Maastricht University and FASoS
Maastricht University is recognized as the most international university in the Netherlands, hosting over 22,300 students and 5,000 staff members. The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASoS) is home to approximately 250 staff and 2,100 students and emphasizes interdisciplinary research on societies, cultures, globalization, and transnational migration. The Department of Society Studies offers a collaborative environment with expertise in ethnography, global migration, and development research.
Maastricht University is committed to fostering diversity and inclusion, recognizing that a diverse community enhances research, education, and innovation.
For more information and to apply visit Maastricht University official website.
For more opportunities such as these please follow us on Facebook, Instagram , WhatsApp, Twitter, LinkedIn and Telegram
Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) is not the hiring organization. For any inquiries, please contact the hiring organization directly. Please do not send your applications to GSO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.
