PhD position (0,8 - 1 fte)

Introduction

Do you want to contribute to a research project about (un)dignified experiences in the context of migration? Are you eager to combine philosophical reflection with insights from other disciplines (such as religious studies, urban studies, migration studies), and with co-creation of knowledge together with migrant communities? Do you want to help developing a more inclusive and experience-based ethics of ‘migration with dignity’?

Erasmus School of Philosophy, Rotterdam, is searching for a fulltime PhD researcher within the research project “Dignity in Place”, funded by NWO (Dutch Research Council).

Job description

In the NWO-project “Dignity in place” we combine fundamental philosophical analysis of the concept of dignity with an engaged participatory research approach, co-creating knowledge with migrant communities. As a PhD researcher in this project you will contribute to developing a more inclusive and comprehensive account of dignity in the context of migration and help formulating concrete normative demands for migration with dignity.

Traditional debates on ‘dignity’ are often not sufficiently equipped to address concrete and sometimes subtle undignified experiences of hostility, disrespect, and marginalization - of being denied one’s place as a fully accepted member of a society – or to analyze concrete dignified practices, e.g. the expertise of (religious) migrant communities in creating ‘dignified spaces’ in urban environments. This is why we want to develop a novel experience-based ethics of “dignity in place”.

As a PhD researcher in this project, you will work closely together with the project lead, Dr. Katharina Bauer. We will collaborate with a broad range of partners, in particular with migrant communities in the cities of Rotterdam (The Netherlands) and Bochum (Germany), with the Center for Religious Studies, Bochum, and with experts in other related research fields.

• You will lead the development of your own PhD research, aligning it with the research objectives and Work Packages (in particular WP2) of the project.
• You will organize and facilitate Socratic discussion sessions and individual in-depth interviews (WP2) with (members of) different migrant communities, visit and assess the spaces they use in urban environments, and analyze the generated data together with the project lead.
• You will publish your research outcomes in scholarly journals and contribute to a book publication.
• You will be involved societal outreach and knowledge dissemination through co-organizing a city lab in Rotterdam, facilitating knowledge exchange between experts and stakeholders, and translating our research into tangible/applicable outputs, including design options and policy recommendations.
• You will graduate with a PhD from Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

Job requirements

We are looking for an enthusiastic and dedicated researcher with a strong interest in ethics and experiences of migration.

Important competencies are scientific curiosity, a reflective mindset, academic rigor, in combination with open-mindedness, cultural sensitivity, and communication skills for ethical engagement, inclusiveness, and co-creation with local communities.

Your qualifications and experience:

• A master's degree in the field of Philosophy, Religious Studies, Migration Studies, Urban Studies or other related disciplines relevant to this PhD position;
• Sufficient knowledge and a strong drive to gain more expertise in ethics, political philosophy and philosophical conceptual analysis;
• Experience with quantitative empirical research methods (semi-structured interviews, focus groups, participatory research, including data analysis);
• Excellent communication and academic writing skills in English, (see the application format for the requirements);
• Dutch language skills at least at level B2 or readiness to acquire these skills ideally within a year (other language skills are also highly appreciated).

Employment conditions and benefits

We offer you an internationally oriented and varied job in an enthusiastic team, with excellent working conditions in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU).

The start date of this position is 1 January 2026 and you will be based at class.26087 in Erasmus School of Philosophy (ESPhil). This position is for 0.8 fte - 1 fte. The salary ranges from a minimum of € 3.059 to a maximum of € 3.881 gross per month Scale PhD on a fulltime basis (40 hours), in accordance with the CAO-NU. The contract is entered into for the duration of 4 years.

Everything else we offer you, you can find below!

-        Everything you need for a good work-life balance: the option to work from home in consultation with your manager, 41 days of paid leave with a 40 hour contract, 8% holiday pay and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus, and a significant discount on a subscription for our on-campus sports centre!

-        Sustainable, inclusive and diverse work environment with an open culture, where you can be yourself and we pay attention to each other and to the world around us. Make the most of our bicycle budget, or join networks such as Young@EUR, FAME or QuEUR.

-        Time and space for your development in the broadest sense: development days and a personal career budget and free access to our university library.

-        Good pension with ABP that EUR contributes 2/3rds towards, discounts on various collective insurances with Zilveren Kruis Achmea, Loyalis, and Allianz, and compensation for travel, working from home and home internet use.

-        Are you currently combining your job with parenthood, or do you want to do so in the future? EUR offers partially paid parental leave and fully paid additional birth leave for partners, and our campus features a daycare (daycare not paid for by EUR).

-        Moving to the Netherlands for your job with EUR? Then you may be eligible for the 30%-ruling if you meet the requirements of the Belastingdienst (Dutch tax agency), and with our Dual Career Programme we will also help your partner find the right job for them.

Employer

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) is an internationally oriented university with a strong social orientation in its education and research, as expressed in our mission ‘Creating positive societal impact’. EUR is home to 4.100 academics and professionals and almost 33.000 students from more than 140 countries. Everything we do, we do under the credo The Erasmian Way – Making Minds Matter. We’re global citizens, connecting, entrepreneurial, open-minded, and socially involved. These Erasmian Values function as our internal compass and create EUR’s distinctive and recognizable profile. From these values, with a broad perspective and with an eye for diversity, different backgrounds and opinions, our employees work closely together to solve societal challenges from the dynamic and cosmopolitan city of Rotterdam. Thanks to the high quality and positive societal impact of our research and education, EUR can compete with the top European universities. www.eur.nl.

Faculty / Institute / Central service

Erasmus School of Philosophy (ESPhil) of Erasmus University Rotterdam is a leading research and teaching institution in the Netherlands. The faculty has a broad international orientation, with many international students and staff members and strong connections with universities abroad. Our research programs are internationally leading in our field. We offer three Master programs (the Master program Philosophy Now, the Research Master Philosophy and Economics and the Master program Societal Transitions) and two Bachelor programs (the BA Philosophy and the Philosophy of a Specific Discipline (second degree) program. Guided by dedicated lecturers, students delve into various philosophical topics, ranging from philosophy of early Enlightenment up to post-modern continental philosophy; from ethics to philosophy of science and metaphysics. Our curriculum is emphatically involved with the current philosophical and societal debates and our research is internationally leading in our field and addresses for collaborative themes: The making of Modernity; Subjectivity and its discontents; Philosophy of economics; The structure of science and reality. ESPhil enables students to become critical thinkers and engaged scholars by developing their academic skills and encouraging them to practice philosophy in multiple societal settings.

Additional information

Please contact Dr. Katharina Bauer for any additional information via bauer@esphil.eur.nl. 

Applying

We look forward to receiving your application for the role of PhD researcher with your CV and motivation letter attached. Please add a short statement in which you explain precisely which expertise you could bring to this project based on your studies and background, and how you would envision your contribution to the participatory and engaged research approach. The application procedure consists of max. two interviews (in December 2025).  

We look forward to receiving your application!

Deadline: November 20th, 2025.

EUR offers equal opportunities to all employees and applicants, regardless of gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, age, neurodiversity, occupational disability, citizenship or any other aspect that makes them unique. We hope to meet you in our community.

Acquisition in response to this vacancy is not appreciated.