PhD Student

PhD FellowshipsCenter for Statecraft and Strategic Communicationand the Ax:son Johnson Institute for Statecraft and DiplomacyDepartment for Marketing and Strategy and House of Government and Public Policy, Stockholm School of Economics BackgroundThe Center for Statecraft and Strategic Communication (CSSC), located at the Department for Marketing and Strategy at the Stockholm School of Economics (SSE), is pleased to announce fellowships for two PhD-fellows wishing to pursue historically informed research about strategic communication in statecraft. In addition to being part of SSE, the postdoctoral fellows join an international consortium, the Ax:son Johnson Institute for Statecraft and Diplomacy (AJI). Incoming PhD students will work closely with the affiliates of CSSC as well as being given opportunities to participate in the Center’s activities and the broader intellectual community of SSE. They will also collaborate with faculty, affiliates, students, and fellows from the other institutes in the AJI-consortium, creating a multi-institutional, multi-national intellectual community that spans the Atlantic.CSSC’s research profile combines history, statecraft, and strategic communication. Our concern with history means that we are interested in past events, but also that we seek to situate current events historically, aiming to apply historical lessons to contemporary phenomena and to understand them as parts of long-term processes. The focus on statecraft means that we are interested in international affairs and how political leaders navigate the security challenges facing their countries. With strategic communication, we refer to the use of information or disinformation by states and other political actors to achieve strategic objectives. This can take the form of rhetoric, public diplomacy, propaganda, disinformation, diplomacy, intelligence, strategic narratives, and similar phenomena.The ideal research project should be situated at the intersection of these three areas, but we are also open to projects with links to one of two of them, as long as the overall orientation fits our overarching concern with statecraft and diplomacy. In addition, research projects relating economic history to statecraft will also be considered. Our research is firmly grounded in the classic humanities and the history of international affairs. We support writing in a plain style and seek to disseminate research findings to the general public.For the 2026 intake we are looking for two PhD fellows. One of the PhD projects has the title Propaganda and Disinformation. It aims to investigate international influence operations and their effects on society. Of empirical interest are efforts by foreign states to shape public opinion and the information environment, as well as how audiences, governments, and businesses respond to such attempts.  For this position, we are looking for a candidate with an interest in international affairs and mass communication, and a readiness to work with both quantitative and qualitative research methods. This can include experiments, surveys, interviews, and content analysis.The other PhD project has no specific title but should relate to one or more of the Center’s research strands. RequirementsWe are looking for candidates with a passion for knowledge and a strong commitment to pursue postgraduate studies. In addition to being qualified and well-motivated, candidates should be able to work independently and with others. Knowledge of Swedish is a merit. Fellowships require a university level degree and one year of Master level studies or the equivalent who meet Stockholm School of Economics’ requirements for doctoral students in Business Administration. A generic requirement is that applicants should have 90 ECTS credits in business administration. Candidates who can show the necessary ability to complete the program with similar academic merits (such as a master’s degree in political science, history, sociology or economics) will be considered. See further:https://www.hhs.se/en/education/phd/business-administration/admission/https://www.hhs.se/en/research/departments/dms/current-phd-positions-at-dms/TermsThe two fully funded doctoral positions/scholarships cover four years (240 ECTS) and the work is mainly located at CSSC’s premises at Stockholm School of Economics.Admitted PhD students receive a scholarship from CSSC, and are guaranteed funding throughout the PhD program, conditional upon satisfactory performance as determined by the supervisors. The current tax-exempt scholarship amount is SEK 26 000 per month. In addition, CSSC will provide a yearly insurance amounting to SEK 65 000 that shall cover potential sick- or parental leave.Application Applicants shall register through SSE’s web-based application system for PhD-candidates in Business Administration. The application period is open from 1 December 2021 until 15 January 2026. Please mention CSSC in your statement of purpose. Suitable candidates will be interviewed during the spring. Questions can be directed to Center Director Rikard Westerberg (rikard.westerberg@hhs.se).SSE is committed to a balanced gender distribution and values a variety of backgrounds and experiences among our employees. We, therefore, welcome all applicants regardless of their gender, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, disability, sexual orientation, age, or religion, or other beliefs.