Full-time PhD Researcher 100%
Universität Bern
Bern
Key information
- Publication date:21 October 2025
- Workload:100%
- Place of work:Bern
Job summary
The University of Bern seeks a PhD candidate for a funded project.
Tasks
- Investigate economic activities linked to uncertain futures.
- Explore new cultures of speculation in popular investing.
- Use ethnographic methods to analyze individuals' lifeworlds.
Skills
- MA degree in Social Anthropology or related field required.
- Experience with qualitative methods and ethnographic research.
- Strong organizational and communication skills essential.
Is this helpful?
The Department of Social Anthropology and Cultural Studies at the University of Bern in-vites applications for a PhD candidate for the four-year research project “Cultures of Speculation, ” starting from January 2026.
Funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and led by Professor Stefan Leins, the project investigates how economic activities are increasingly oriented toward uncertain futures and how this shift has given rise to new cultures of speculation. It focuses on three key domains that have gained importance in the wake of the financial crisis: new popular investing, flexible work, and infrastructural planning. Using ethnographic methods, the project explores the lifewor-lds, strategies, narratives, and moral perceptions of individuals and groups engaged in these fields.
Required qualifications
• MA degree in Social Anthropology or neighbouring discipline
• Experience with qualitative methods and ethnographic fieldwork
• Excellent organizational and communication abilities
• Enthusiasm for collaborative work
What we offer
• A fully funded PhD position for four years
• Work within a dynamic and interdisciplinary research environment at the University of Bern
• Flexible working conditions and the opportunity to pursue individual academic interests
The position is based at the University of Bern. The salary follows SNSF regulations (approximately CHF 50,000 per annum). Additional funding will be available for fieldwork and conference participation.
Application
Please send your application including a cover letter, CV, degree transcripts (or transcript of records) as a single PDF email attachment to Professor Stefan Leins: E-Mail schreiben.
Deadline: 14 November 2025
