PhD Student at SCEWP
Fully-funded PhD Position in Philosophy at the Stockholm Centre for the Ethics of War and Peace
The Department of Philosophy is Sweden’s largest philosophy department, and is divided into Theoretical Philosophy and Practical Philosophy. It has a thriving graduate community that hosts the annual Stockholm Graduate Philosophy Conference, and an active research culture.
Project description
This is a four year, fully-funded PhD position attached to the Stockholm Centre for the Ethics of War and Peace, which is funded by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation and part of the Philosophy Department at Stockholm University. The Centre, which is directed by Helen Frowe, aims to produce cutting-edge research in the ethics of war, foster international collaboration with scholars, policy-makers and military practitioners, and improve public and policy debates concerning the ethics of war and peace.
The expected starting salary is 25300 SEK/month (approx. £2250/ $3150); 303,600 SEK p.a. (approx. £27,000, $37,800). This is a pensionable position, subject to the favourable conditions of standard Swedish social benefits, such as paid parental leave. The holder of the position will be expected to conduct research in English. Swedish language skills are not required for this position.
As a PhD student at the Faculty of Humanities you have the opportunity to participate in the Faculty’s Doctoral School, which offers themes and courses characterised by interdisciplinarity and cooperation across subjects. The Doctoral School also gives you the chance to improve the quality of your education thanks to the interchange provided by the community of PhD students from other subjects and departments.
The successful applicant will undertake a PhD in Philosophy in a topic falling within the Centre’s remit of the ethics of war and peace. Some preference will be given to proposals addressing ethical issues surrounding foreign intervention, broadly construed. This includes indirect foreign intervention (such as the ethics of arming rebel groups), ‘soft’ intervention, such as propaganda campaigns, and our obligations in the aftermath of intervention, including obligations to refugees. However, proposals on any aspect of the ethics of war and peace will be considered. This could include (but is not limited to): theoretical approaches to war (such as pacifism, individualism or collectivism), terrorism, civil war, revolution, war crimes, crimes against humanity, issues within jus ad bellum and jus in bello, the moral status of combatants and non-combatants, war and technology, reconstruction and reconciliation, the notion of ‘just peace’, and legitimate authority. We also encourage proposals that look to bring work in other areas of philosophy – such as work on causation, responsibility, rights, duties to rescue, partiality or risk – to bear on the ethics of war.
Qualification requirements
In order to meet the general entry requirements, the applicant must have completed a second-cycle degree, completed courses equivalent to at least 240 higher education credits, of which 60 credits must be in the second cycle, or have otherwise acquired equivalent knowledge in Sweden or elsewhere.
In order to meet the specific entry requirements, the general syllabus for doctoral studies in the field of practical philosophy stipulates that applicants must have at least 30 ECTS credits in practical philosophy at the advanced level (including a thesis), or something equivalent.
The qualification requirements must be met by the deadline for applications.
Selection
The selection among the eligible candidates will be based on their capacity to benefit from the training. The selection is made with regard to the following criteria:
I. QUALIFICATIONS
1. Education.
Assessment of both depth and breadth of previous education.
2. Scientific production.
Based on a Bachelor’s thesis, a Master’s thesis or other academic papers, the ability of the applicant to benefit from the education is considered in relation to the following assessment criteria:
- Critical ability
- Analytical ability
- Creativity
- Independence
The assessment should also take into consideration the aspect of time, that is, to what extent the applicant has shown the ability to meet his or her previous scientific obligations within given time constraints. In addition, the scientific progress of the applicant is considered.
II. RESEARCH PLAN
The applicant should enclose a research plan, which should cover the research problem and an outline of the research project. The research plan is assessed according to:
- Relevance
- Originality
- Completion within given time constraints (that is full-time work during a four-year period of doctoral studies)
III. ABILITY TO COLLABORATE
The ability of the applicant to be collaborative is determined by personal references, certificates or interviews.
Admission Regulations for Doctoral Studies at Stockholm University are available at: www.su.se/rules.
Terms of employment
Only a person who will be or has already been admitted to a third-cycle programme may be appointed to a doctoral studentship.
The term of the initial contract may not exceed one year. The employment may be extended for a maximum of two years at a time. However, the total period of employment may not exceed the equivalent of four years of full-time study.
The successful applicant will be co-supervised by Helen Frowe and a suitable member of staff from the Philosophy Department. The main focus of the position will be the writing of a high-quality doctoral thesis, and disseminating this research via international conference presentations and publications. However, he or she will also undertake some administrative tasks related to the Centre (such as assisting with conference organisation) and may, at the discretion of the Philosophy Department, engage in some undergraduate teaching.
After succeful completion of the PhD programme, the employee may apply to the department for 6 months supplementary employment as postdoc for the planning of future research projects.
Please note that admission decisions cannot be appealed.
Stockholm University strives to be a workplace free from discrimination and with equal opportunities for all.
Contact
For more information, please contact the Head of the Department, Professor Björn Eriksson, telephone: +46 8 16 44 93, [email protected].
Applicants who would like to discuss their proposals are encouraged to contact Helen Frowe, [email protected].
Union representatives
Ingrid Lander (Saco-S), telephone: +46 708 16 26 64, [email protected], Lisbeth Häggberg (Fackförbundet ST and Lärarförbundet), telephone: +46 8 16 20 00 (operator), [email protected](SEKO), and PhD student representative, [email protected].
Application
Apply for the PhD student position at Stockholm University’s recruitment system by clicking the “Apply” button. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the job advertisement, and that it is submitted before the deadline.
Please include the following information with your application
- Your contact details and personal data
- Your highest degree
- Your language skills
- Contact details for 2–3 references
and, in addition, please include the following documents
- Cover letter
- CV – degrees and other completed courses, work experience and a list of degree projects/theses
- Project proposal/Research proposal (maximum 8 pages)
- Degree certificates and grades confirming that you meet the general and specific entry requirements (no more than 6 files)
- Letters of recommendation (no more than 6 files)
- Degree projects/theses (no more than 6 files).
The instructions for applicants are available at: Instructions – Applicants.
You are welcome to apply!
Stockholm University – our education and research produce results.
Closing date: 16/04/2018
Closing date: 16 April 2018
For more information on how to apply, see here: