The Migration and Time in Post-Industrial Urban Europe (MITIME) is a groundbreaking European doctoral initiative that explores the intersections of migration, temporality, and urban change.
The MITIME PhD Positions offer 15 fully funded doctoral opportunities across leading European universities, focusing on migration and time in post-industrial urban Europe. This unique program provides early-stage researchers with world-class training, interdisciplinary supervision, and international mobility, exploring how migration, temporality, urban change, labour, identity, and digital transformation intersect in post-industrial cities.
With host institutions in Finland, Germany, Spain, Türkiye, Belgium, and Ireland, candidates will explore diverse research areas such as temporality, urban sociality, digital transformation, identity formation, placemaking, and the lived experiences of migrants in post-industrial cities.
Apply now to advance your career in global migration studies, urban research, and social innovation.
Why Apply for MITIME PhD Positions?
The MITIME PhD Positions offer unique opportunities to:
- Work at leading European universities
- Conduct interdisciplinary research across ethnography, sociology, political science, and social sciences
- Receive full scholarships, mobility allowances, and institutional support
- Participate in international secondments with universities, city governments, and NGOs
- Join world-class doctoral training networks
- Build careers in academia, policy, humanitarian work, and global research
Eligibility Criteria for MITIME PhD Positions
Candidates must meet the following requirements:
1. Hold a Master’s degree or equivalent in Cultural Anthropology, Sociology, Political Science, Social Sciences, Human Geography, Public Administration, or related fields.
2. Demonstrate strong research skills (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods).
3. Be highly motivated to conduct fieldwork, participate in international secondments, and work in interdisciplinary research teams.
4. Exhibit proficiency in English; additional languages relevant to the research site are a plus.
5. Fulfill any specific academic requirements of the host institution (grades, prior coursework, research experience).
Available MITIME PhD Positions by University
1. University of Oulu, Finland – Cultural Anthropology
Doctoral Researcher 1: Conviviality in Broken Times
Explore how migrants and non-migrants form social bonds amid restrictive migration policies and economic restructuring in Finland and Germany.
Doctoral Researcher 3: Urban Sociality On- and Offline
Examine everyday encounters in Oulu and Liège to understand how digital and physical interactions shape sociality, solidarity, and intercultural engagement.
Doctoral Researcher 6: Belonging and the Urban Future
Investigate how historical and current labour migration influences urban planning, city branding, and futures in Finland and Germany.
2. Koç University, Türkiye – Sociology & Political Science
Doctoral Researcher 2: Remote Work, Control, and International Mobility
Study how remote work impacts migration, mobility, workplace governance, and inequality, with case studies in Türkiye and Spain.
Application link opens 5 December 2025.
3. Ruhr University Bochum, Germany – Social Sciences
Doctoral Researcher 4: Navigating Time Regimes in Urban Labour Markets
Focus on temporal precarity and migrant resilience strategies in post-industrial cities using ethnography and biographical research.
Doctoral Researcher 5: Labour Market Agents and Migrant Temporalities
Examine how institutions shape migrant labour rhythms, governance frameworks, and temporal orders in Bochum and Rotterdam.
4. University College Cork (UCC), Ireland
Doctoral Researcher 7: Temporal Home and Migrant Placemaking
Investigate how migrants create a sense of home amid conflicting temporalities caused by restrictive migration regimes.
Doctoral Researcher 8: Crossing Time, Crossing Borders
Explore migrant struggles, liminality, borderscapes, and mobility to understand the creation of new political vocabularies.
5. University of Deusto, Spain
Doctoral Researcher 9: Diasporic Identities and Placemaking
Study how diaspora communities in Bilbao negotiate belonging, engage politically, and interact with origin-country policies.
Doctoral Researcher 10: Story Time: Urban Narratives and Displacement
Examine displaced populations’ narratives, social cohesion, trust-building, and inclusive urban storytelling methods.
Research Themes Across MITIME PhD Positions
- Migration and mobility
- Labour and urban temporality
- Digital transformation and sociality
- Placemaking and city branding
- Identity formation and diaspora experiences
- Policy, governance, and humanitarian engagement
How to Apply
Take the first step in shaping your academic and professional future by applying to the MITIME PhD Positions today.
Apply for MITIME PhD Positions Here
Don’t miss this chance to join a world-class research network and contribute to innovative studies on migration, labour, and urban transformation.
For more information on the MITIME PhD Positions, click HERE or please contact MITIME Coordinator Prof Roger Norumphdjobs@migrationtime.eu
