Up to 6 PhD Students in Business Studies

The Department of Business Studies is a large department within the Faculty of Social Sciences at Uppsala University, with its approximately 100 co-workers. We conduct extensive PhD education and have about 30 PhD students. The research schools MIT, GRASS, Nord-IB and FIRE are connected to the department. The department conducts research and provides PhD education in the following fields: Accounting/Finance, Entrepreneurship, International Business, Marketing and Organisation/Management.

The department has Swedish as its working language, but most research at the department is conducted in English.

The PhD student positions are announced following:

• 1 position in accounting

We are looking for a PhD candidate interested in conducting research in the field of accounting. The Accounting Group conducts research in four broad areas: (1) Financial Accounting, (2) Finance, (3) Management Control, and (4) Enterprise Information Systems. Examples of ongoing projects include (in alphabetical order):

- Cognitive and neurobiological causes and effects of accounting and economic behavior (3)

- Digitalisation and control (3, 4)

- Expertise in fund management and auditing (1, 2)

- Risk management in sustainable banking (3)

- Strategic consequences of expanded greenhouse gas reporting (1, 3)

The Accounting Group consists of experienced supervisors, and the project idea will be developed together with them. It is therefore important that the PhD candidate has a strong interest in one or more of the areas listed above (1–4) and in related projects.

We encourage potential PhD candidates to visit our webpage to learn more about the research we are conducting.

The PhD candidate is expected to be enrolled in two research schools: The research school in Accounting (FIRE) and The Swedish Research School of Management and IT (MIT).

• 1 position in innovation and strategy

We are looking for a PhD student interested in conducting research in the field of innovation and strategy. Uppsala Patent History Group is a leading research groups on the history of innovation and the developers of the Swedish Historical Patents Infrastructure (https://svenskahistoriskapatent.se). The group’s research centers on inventors, intermediaries in markets for technology, and the development of firms’ innovation capabilities and technology strategies in international comparison. The research draws upon different sources of information and employs a range of quantitative and qualitative research methods to understand and explain dynamics of innovation. Together with your advisor, you will develop a specific project that relates to the ongoing research at the Department of Business Studies. It is therefore important that you have a strong interest in the subject area of innovation in a general sense while having a flexible approach to developing a more specific project in collaboration with advisors. We seek candidates with interest in areas such as business administration, strategy, innovation studies, entrepreneurship, sociology, economics, history of technology and economic history.

• Up to 4 positions related to the following research projects:

Project 1: Social Capital and Innovation

The overall aim of this PhD project is to explain the role of personal ties in Sweden’s industrial breakthrough at the end of the 19th century. This PhD project investigates how personal ties and social networks among engineers influenced inventive activity during Sweden’s industrialization (1830–1936). While traditional economic history often celebrates the ‘lone inventor’, modern economic science recognizes that innovation is a deeply social process embedded in human interaction. By tracing over 15,000 engineers and linking them to more than 100,000 patent records, this project addresses a fundamental, yet unanswered, question in Swedish economic history: how did personal ties formed in engineering schools and workplaces shape inventive activity? The applicants should clearly state if they are primarily interested (and proven qualified) in performing research doing quantitative and/or qualitative research methods, such as social network analysis. We seek candidates with interest areas such as business administration, strategy, innovation studies, entrepreneurship, sociology, economics, history of technology and economic history. The successful PhD candidate will have the possibility to develop their project plans together with advisors, but a specific focus will be put on network embeddedness of engineers as inventors.

Number of positions: 1

Note: This position is subject to availability of external funding.

Project 2: AI in Sustainable Finance: Governance, Risks and Opportunities for Sustainable Transformation

This program examines the adoption and use of artificial intelligence (AI) by financial sector firms (FsF) in support of the transition to a sustainable global economy, while addressing tensions between AI innovation and economic, environmental, and societal objectives. The program recognises the growing interconnectedness of sustainability, sustainable finance, and AI, as FsF are increasingly required to redirect capital towards sustainable investments and align economic activities with sustainability goals, as mandated by regulatory authorities (e.g., BIS, ECB). Adopting a socio-technical approach, the program focuses on three levels of enquiry. At the regulatory level, it examines how regulatory frameworks shape the use of AI in FsF, and whether they enable or constrain sustainable transformation efforts. At the sector level, it investigates how AI is integrated into sustainability-related governance structures, and risk management and reporting processes. At the firm level, it explores how AI adoption influences decision-making processes and outcomes by affecting human behaviour and cognition. The PhD student will be supervised by experienced researchers involved in the project and will be part of a broader interdisciplinary research network. The project is supported by a reference group with expertise in AI governance, sustainability financing, and the design, implementation, and use of generative AI in financial sector firms.

Number of positions: 1

Note: This position is subject to availability of external funding.

Project 3: The Resilience and Reaction to Policy of Pharmaceutical Supply Chains and Networks: Integrating Network Analysis, Simulations and Artificial Intelligence

The project investigates the factors behind the resilience of drug, especially antibiotics, supply chains and how public policies can improve it. Disruptions, geopolitical tensions and structurally concentrated supply chains have increased shortages, yet research disagrees on whether resilience depends mainly on structural factors (number, location and dependence on single nodes) or on relational and network features such as governance, resource interaction and inter-chain connections. Little is known also about how specific policies—e.g. parallel sourcing, reshoring, public production—affect supply chains with different configurations.

This study maps the Swedish antibiotic supply network and links its structural, geographical and relational characteristics to shortage outcomes, comparing it with other drug classes and countries. Applying a mixed-method approach, the project integrates qualitative case studies with quantitative Social Network Analysis, simulations (Agent-Based Models) and Machine Learning/NLP (Natural Language Processing) to capture both the network embeddedness and the qualitative B2B relationship features of supply chains. The project identifies key bottlenecks, evaluates policy mechanisms, and models via simulations how chains react to interventions. Expected contributions include new insights on resilience drivers, policy impacts, and tools for managers and policymakers to improve access to essential medicines.

Candidates for this project are expected to be interested in the collection and analysis of quantitative data, and to possess or be able to develop the ability to apply advanced statistical methods and simulations. Knowledge of Swedish language is an advantage but not a requirement.

Number of positions: 1

Note: This position is subject to availability of external funding.

Project 4: Swedish Forestry in Transition

We are looking for a PhD student in business studies focusing on industrial marketing and procurement, with an interest in the forest sector. Together with your supervisors, you will work on a project concerning the development and dynamics of the Swedish forestry industry. It is therefore an advantage if you have previous experience in forestry operations. It is also important that you have a general interest in industrial marketing /procurement and a more specific interest in relationship, network and/or market theories.

Number of positions: 1

Note: Fluency in Swedish is a requirement for the position in addition to requirements below.

General information

Duties: The duties of a PhD student are primarily focused on his/her own research education, (4 years full-time), 90 academic credits of courses and 150 credits research for the doctoral thesis. To a limited extent (maximum 20 %), the work may also involve other departmental duties, mainly related to teaching undergraduate courses – in which case the position may be extended to maximum five years. General rules about PhD education can be found (in Swedish) in Högskoleförordningen Chapter 5, §§ 1-7, in Uppsala University rules and in the General Study Plan for PhD studies at the Department of Business Studies, Uppsala University.

Requirements: General entry requirement: an advanced level qualification, has satisfied fulfillment of the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits, of which at least 60 credits awarded at the advanced level, including at least 15 credits for an individual piece of work, or has acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way.
Specific entry requirement: courses in Business Studies comprising 90 credits.

In order to receive a PhD position, the candidate needs to be admitted to the doctoral programme, and for this, his/her potential ability to pursue the programme is decisive.

Note that a master thesis that has not yet been completed and assessed by the application deadline is given respite until May 29, 2026.

Requirements - Language requirement in English: All applicants need to verify English language proficiency that corresponds to English studies at upper secondary (high school) level in Sweden ("English 6"). This can be done in a number of ways, including through an internationally recognised test such as TOEFL or IELTS, or through previous upper secondary (high school) or university studies.

The minimum test scores are:

• IELTS: an overall mark of 6.5 and no section below 5.5
• TOEFL: Paper-based: Score of 4.5 (scale 1–6) in written test and a total score of 575. Internet-based: Score of 20 (scale 0–30) in written test and a total score of 90
• Cambridge: CAE, CPE

More information about English language requirements

Criteria for assessment of applications: please see the criteria.

The application must include:

1. CV
2. Certified graduation diploma and transcripts of academic records, and other relevant documents that prove general and specific eligibility.
3. Research proposal in either English or Swedish (max. 12,000 characters including spaces). The research proposal should address the main research questions and the relevance of the project, relate the project to relevant previous research in the field, and present issues regarding data and methodology.
4. Motivation letter. In the motivation letter you will have to specify which project position you are interested in.
5. Master thesis and books, articles, scripts, etc invoked. Note that a master thesis that has not yet been completed and assessed by the application deadline is given respite until May 29, 2026.
6. TOEFL/IELTS-test (or equivalent). Note that applicants with a master’s degree from an English-speaking university or programme do not need to prove their English skills by submitting a TOEFL/IELTS-test. Information about English tests can be found in the link above.
7. Two letters of reference/recommendation (for example, from university teachers or employers). The letters have to include the contact information to the referees (e-mail address and phone number). The recommendation should state in what way the referent has known the applicant. We are particularly interested in an assessment of the applicant in terms of our admissions criteria. Instructions for recommendation letters.

Interview: An evaluation committee assesses the applications and provides a recommendation for which candidates should be called for interviews. Call for interviews will take place April 20-22, and (if necessary) May 18-19, 2026 to selected candidates. Those who successfully pass the interviews will have to do a written assignment.

About the employment
The employment is a temporary position according to the Higher Education Ordinance, chapter 5 § 7. Scope of employment 100%. Starting date in the middle of August, 2026. Placement: Uppsala.

For further information about the positions, please contact Director of PhD studies Susanne Åberg, ph +46 (0)18 471 1391, susanne.aberg@fek.uu.se or administrator for PhD studies Golondrian Janke, ph +46 (0)18 471 1369, golondrian.janke@fek.uu.se.

You are welcome to submit your application by March 31, 2026, UFV-PA 2026/442. Only complete applications with supporting documents will be reviewed.

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In case of different interpretations of the English and Swedish versions of this announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.