PhD position 'Sustaining Borders and Displacement Through Refugee Entrepreneurship'

Are you interested in joining an interdisciplinary team of migration researchers to study entrepreneurship programs for refugees and their effects on refugee livelihoods in the Global South? Passionate about ethnographic research? Self-motivated and ready to learn new research skills? 

Job Description
The Department of Society Studies is looking for a PhD candidate to undertake in-depth ethnographic research on the bordering practices in entrepreneurship and other life-sustaining programs for refugees in protracted situations in the Global South. You will be part of the Globalisation, Transnational, and Development research group at Maastricht University.

For many refugees, sustaining life is a catch-22. On one hand, refugees living indefinite periods of displacement are often perceived as a burden to their countries of asylum. On the other hand, they are restricted from and can be punished for obtaining employment or other sources of livelihood that would allow them to become self-reliant. ‘Durable solutions’ to manage refugees’ return, local integration, or resettlement continue to be unattainable for the majority of the world’s refugee population. Institutions such as UNHCR and other state and non-state actors have turned towards more ‘comprehensive solutions’ that promote refugees’ self-reliance and economic inclusion in the society in which they live. This research aims to critically investigate how such programmes, in the form of entrepreneurship training and other youth employment initiatives designed to help refugees autonomously navigate the informal urban economies in the ‘Global South’, may also entail bordering practices that shape refugees’ continued experiences of displacement.

The PhD candidate will investigate entrepreneurship programmes and other initiatives that promote refugees’ self-reliance while living indefinite periods of displacement. These initiatives often target young refugees, which make up the majority of refugees, and are promoted as opportunities for refugees to learn new skills, widen networks, and improve future prospects after resettlement, despite declining opportunities for resettlement. The PhD candidate will get an opportunity to develop and undergo in-depth ethnographic research in a refugee asylum country in the Global South, preferably in Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. The research will engage with the following critical perspectives:

1. A youth-centric perspective to understand how refugee entrepreneurship and other self-reliance programmes shape the experiences of young refugees, surviving and thriving amidst the fraught realities they face during displacement.  
2. An urban-refugee perspective to understand how refugee entrepreneurship and other self-reliance programmes are designed and implemented by state and non-state actors that support refugees in finding opportunities in the underregulated informal urban economies where they live.
3. A border-making perspective to understand how refugee entrepreneurship and other self-reliance programmes are potentially used as border governing structures by state and non-state actors to keep refugees in protracted situations while not according them status.

The research project will be based on multi-scalar ethnographic research comparing different types of  entrepreneurship and other self-reliance programmes in the PhD candidate’s chosen case study country. It will explore how these programmes are experienced by the refugees that participate in them, the trainers that are involved in designing and delivering the programmes, and the international organisations that fund them.

The tasks include:

• Developing a research and fieldwork plan, taking into consideration ethics and data management procedures of the Faculty.
• Ethnographic fieldwork (including interviews and participant observation) in a chosen case study country over a period of up to 12 months.
• Archival research on refugee entrepreneurship and self-reliance and its intersections with other related initiatives, such as youth empowerment and border management.
• Writing a doctoral dissertation and (co)authoring 1-2 publications (e.g. journal articles).
• Participating in group meetings and contributing to the organization of events and workshops.
• Presenting work-in-progress at international workshops, conference panels, and to colleagues within the Faculty.

In this role you will learn to synthesize ethnographic and archival research, while developing your writing and teamwork skills. Further trainings will be provided through the Faculty’s Graduate School. 

Requirements
We are looking for someone who is excited and motivated to do an independent PhD project based on ethnographic fieldwork. The position requires residence in Maastricht or the surrounding region (except for the fieldwork periods). Specifically, we are looking for someone who has:

• A completed Master’s degree in Anthropology, Geography, Sociology or in related interdisciplinary fields such as migration studies, humanitarian studies, and international development studies.
• Demonstrable experience with and passion for qualitative research methods, particularly ethnographic fieldwork.
• Strong analytical and writing skills.
• Advanced English language competency (speaking and writing for academic contexts).
• Excellent organizational skills and motivation to meet project milestones/deadlines.
• Working knowledge of a language necessary to conduct ethnographic research in the country where the research will be carried out.

What we offer
As PhD candidate at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, you will be employed by the most international university in the Netherlands, located in the beautiful city of Maastricht. In addition, we offer you:

• Good employment conditions. The position is graded according to UFO profile PhD, with corresponding salary from €2901,00 in the first year and €3707,00 gross per month in the fourth year (based on a full-time employment of 38 hours per week). In addition to the monthly salary, an 8.0% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus apply.
• An employment contract for a period of 12 months with a scope of 1,0 FTE. Upon a positive evaluation, an extension of 3 years will follow. 
• At Maastricht University, the well-being of our employees is of utmost importance, we offer flexible working hours and the possibility to work partly from home if the nature of your position allows it. You will receive a monthly commuting and internet allowance for this. If you work full-time, you will be entitled to 29 vacation days and 4 additional public holidays per year, namely carnival Monday, carnival Tuesday, Good Friday, and Liberation Day. If you choose to accumulate compensation hours, an additional 12 days will be added. Furthermore, you can personalize your employment conditions through a collective labor agreement (CAO) choice model. 
• As Maastricht University, we offer various other excellent secondary employment conditions. These include a good pension scheme with the ABP and the opportunity for UM employees to participate in company fitness and make use of the extensive sports facilities that we also offer to our students. 
• Last but certainly not least, we provide the space and facilities for your personal and professional development. We facilitate this by offering a wide range of training programs and supporting various well-established initiatives such as 'acknowledge and appreciate'. 
   

The terms of employment at Maastricht University are largely set out in the collective labor agreement of Dutch Universities. In addition, local provisions specific to UM apply. For more information, click here.

Maastricht University
Why work at Maastricht University?
At Maastricht University (UM), everything revolves around the future. The future of our students, as we work to equip them with a solid, broad-based foundation for the rest of their lives. And the future of society, as we seek solutions through our research to issues from all around the world. Our six faculties combined provide a comprehensive package of study programmes and research.

In our teaching, we use the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) method. Students work in small groups, looking for solutions to problems themselves. By discussing issues and working together to draw conclusions, formulate answers and present them to their peers, students develop essential skills for their future careers.

With over 22,300 students and more than 5,000 employees from all over the world, UM is home to a vibrant and inspiring international community.

Are you drawn to an international setting focused on education, science and scholarship? Are you keen to contribute however your skills and qualities allow? Our door is open to you! As a young European university, we value your talent and look forward to creating the future together.

Click here for more information about UM. 

Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences FASoS is a close-knit community of approximately 250 staff members and 2100 students. During breaks and before meetings, you can often find us at our favourite local coffee spot Bandito Espresso.
Communication lines within our faculty are short and colleagues are always ready to assist each other. FASoS consists of a highly international student population and a significant part of our staff comes from abroad. Our faculty offers four bachelor programs, eight masters programs and two research master programs that are all characterized by their interdisciplinary approach.
Our research institute studies societies and cultures as they have developed in the modern and contemporary periods. We adopt a radically interdisciplinary approach, analysing the interconnections between Europeanization, globalization, scientific and technological advancement, political change, and cultural innovation.
In addition to teaching and research, our colleagues enjoy expressing themselves creatively. They create podcasts, write poetry as well as fiction.
Working at FASoS means being part of a challenging yet informal environment. We believe in crafting your own career path and are always ready to assist you in making the most of your job. For more information about FASoS, you can visit our website: FASoS

Department
The PhD will be embedded in the Department of Society Studies at FASoS. This Department brings together scholars with knowledge and expertise in the interdisciplinary fields of Science, Technology and Society studies (STS) and Globalisation, Transnationalism and Development research. The PhD will also be a member of the Globalisation, Transnationalism, and Development (GTD) research group. Researchers in the GTD research programme work on topics such as the transnational production and circulation of knowledge, and transnational migration and mobilities. In both topics, there is strong expertise in ethnographic methodologies and opportunities for cross-disciplinary exchange in a lively and supportive environment.

Curious?
Are you interested in this exciting position but still have questions? Feel free to contact Mahardhika (Dhika) Sjamsoe’oed Sadjad at mssadjad@maastrichtuniversity.nl for more information. 

Applying?
Or are you already convinced and ready to become our new PhD candidate? Apply now, no later than August 31, 2025, for this position.
 

Please upload/provide:

• Your CV (max. 2 pages)
• Motivation letter (max. 2 pages) clearly addressing the following questions:
  1. What are your motivations for doing a PhD?
  2. How does this PhD position fit in with your previous experience and your aspirations?
  3. How would you tailor the PhD theme (refugee entrepreneurship in protracted situation)  to your specific interests, networks, and skills?
• A writing sample (e.g. chapter from the Master’s thesis)
• Contact information of 2 referees (e.g. Master’s supervisor) 

Shortlisted candidates will be asked to submit a research proposal (1000 words) before the interview outlining a preliminary idea for a PhD project. In this proposal, you are expected to outline your ideas about possible research locations, questions, methods, potential cases, and relevant theories.
A reference check will be part of the application procedure. 

The first interviews will take place at 24-25 September 2025. The second interviews (if necessary) will be held one or two weeks later. 

The vacancy is open for internal and external candidates. In case of equal qualifications, internal candidates will be prioritized.

Maastricht University is committed to promoting and nurturing a diverse and inclusive community. We believe that diversity in our staff and student population contributes to the quality of research and education at UM, and strive to enable this through inclusive policies and innovative projects led by teams of staff and students. We encourage you to apply for this position.