PhD in Related Discipline

We are seeking motivated candidates for two full-time PhD positions within the SOCIAL Doctoral Network, funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions under Horizon Europe in the tracks Rural Governance in Central Asia (DC 16) and Governance in Mongolia (DC 17). The SOCIAL Consortium consists of 14 leading universities across Europe & Canada training 17 doctoral candidates (DC) in the sociology of authoritarian law, with a regional focus on Central Asia. Its three core goals are: Empirical & theoretical innovation on law–society–governance dynamics under authoritarian regimes. Sustainable interdisciplinary doctoral training across disciplines and regions. Policy outreach, converting research into actionable intelligence via workshops, publications, and policy briefs. DC 16 will explore local governance practices and democratization from a bottom-up perspective in Qazaqstan. They will use ethnographic fieldwork to investigate how villagers engage with and resist formal political structures. DC17 will investigate local democratic practices in Mongolia, focusing on evolving governance models in rural areas. It will study civic participation, traditional authority, and institutional adaptation. Doctoral candidates will benefit from joint supervision, inter-sectoral secondments, strong transferable skills development, and a bridge between academic research and policy practice. Fieldwork and secondments constitute integral components of the SOCIAL Doctoral Programme.