PhD position at the Department of Modern Languages

Do you want to attend graduate education with the support of competent and friendly colleagues in an international environment? Are you looking for an employer that invests in sustainable employeeship and offers safe, favorable working conditions? We welcome you to apply for a PhD student position at Uppsala University.

In collaboration between the Department of Modern Languages and the Institute of Russian and Eurasian Studies (IRES) we are looking to recruit a PhD student with a research focus on culture, history, and society in the post-Soviet area.

The Department of Modern Languages is a unit of the Faculty of Languages at Uppsala University. Its ca. 65 employees engage in teaching and research across a wide range of languages, in both linguistics and literature studies. The Institute of Russian and Eurasian Studies is a unit of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Uppsala University. It has ca .25 employees, as well as a number of affiliated guest researchers and guest PhD students. Russian and Eurasian are studies have been an established discipline at Uppsala University for more than fifty years, and has a long-term, integrated and internationally recognized multidisciplinary research environment with an in-depth focus on Russia and the wider post-Soviet space. The departments’ respective research profiles can be found here and here. Here you will also find the profiles of individual researchers; note that even though researchers may be specialized in a particular research area, they are also qualified to supervise PhD students in related fields as well.

Duties

The doctoral studies correspond to 4 years of full-time work. The PhD student receives a salary as an employee at IRES, while the doctoral education programme is administered by the Department of Modern Languages. Teaching and/or administrative duties at the departments may constitute up to 20% of full-time equivalent, whereby the employment is extended by the corresponding time. The PhD student is expected to conduct studies and research full-time as well as participate in and contribute to both departments’ activities.

Qualifications:

The basic eligibility requirements for PhD studies are as follows:

• a completed master’s degree, or
• the equivalent of at least 240 ECTS credits earned, of which 60 must be at the master’s level, including an independently researched thesis worth at least 15 ECTS credits, or
• otherwise acquired relevant subject knowledge assessed to be equivalent to the above.

For a PhD in Slavic Languages, there are also specific eligibility requirements in addition the basic ones listed above. These special requirements are regulated by "Allmän studieplan för 
utbildning på forskarnivå i slaviska språk" (General study plan for doctoral education in Slavic languages):

Specific entry requirements include that the applicant meets the requirements for a Master’s degree in Slavic languages, or equivalent. In addition, good reading proficiency in English as well as in the languages relevant for engaging with the international research that is indispensable for the research task is required. Specific eligibility is also fulfilled by those who have acquired essentially equivalent knowledge through other means.

Documented fluency in a language from the post-Soviet area and of direct relevance for the doctoral research project is mandatory.

Assessment criteria

Admission to the PhD programme is decided by a panel consisting of representatives from both departments. The assessment will be based upon the perceived ability of the applicant to successful complete a programme of doctoral studies. Particular weighting in the assessment will be given to the applicant’s submitted research-based independent work, prior grades, and the doctoral research proposal. The panel will also take into account the feasibility of supervising the proposed research projects within the resources available to each department. Shortlisted candidates will be called for interviews and oral presentations.

General regulations:

Regulations for PhD studies in Sweden are to be found in Chapter 5, Articles 1–7 of Högskoleförordningen, as well as the Policies and regulations at Uppsala University.

For further information on PhD admissions, see the website of the Faculty of Languages: https://www.uu.se/en/faculty/languages/study/phd-studies

Applications shall be submitted in either Swedish or English, and include the following:

1. A personal letter of motivation;
2. A CV listing of qualifications that demonstrate eligibility, along with transcripts and other supporting documentation;
3. Copies of diplomas;
4. Bachelor’s and master’s theses, as well as other relevant publications;
5. A research proposal in Swedish or English (ca. 5 pp., not including references) that describes the proposed project to be undertaken during PhD studies.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that diplomas and other supporting documents are translated into Swedish or English.

About the position

The employment is time-limited in accordance with Högskoleförordningen ch. 5, art. 7, Employment is full time.

Appointment: From 2026-09-01 or by agreement, time-limited employment until 2030-08-31.

Location of employment: Uppsala

Salary: In accordance with the local collative bargaining agreement.

The employee is expected to primarily spend their working time at the departments in Uppsala.

For further information about the PhD studies programme, contact the Director of Studies for Doctoral Education,  Anastasia Makarova, 018-471 13 08 anastasia.makarova@moderna.uu.se,  or the Deputy Head of Modern Languages,  Maria Thomasfolk, 018-471 14 36 maria.thomasfolk@moderna.uu.se.

Information regarding the conditions of employment is provided by the Head of IRES, Susanna Rabow-Edling susanna.rabow-edling@ires.uu.se .

Please submit your application by 2 March 2026, UFV -PA 2026/228