The University of Zurich is offering a fully funded 4-year PhD position in Human Geography, backed by the Swiss National Science Foundation. Research focus: racism, classism, and educational inequality in Switzerland. Apply by 8 July 2026.

Overview

Switzerland is one of the world’s most expensive countries to live in — and one of the most rewarding places to build an academic career. The University of Zurich (UZH), the largest university in Switzerland, is offering a fully funded doctoral position in Human Geography that covers your salary, your research, and four years of structured academic development in one of Europe’s most liveable cities.

This is not a fellowship with a small stipend. This is a salaried PhD position, paid according to the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) salary scale, which is among the most competitive doctoral compensation rates in the world.

The position is tied to an active SNSF-funded research project examining how racism and socioeconomic inequality shape the experiences of minoritised students at elite secondary schools in Switzerland. It’s rigorous, socially meaningful work, led by an established principal investigator, and it comes with full institutional support.

Application deadline: 8 July 2026. That date is close. If this fits your profile, start your documents now.

About the Research Project

This PhD is embedded in the SNSF project titled:

“Institutional conditions for racially and/or socio-economically minoritized students at highly selective secondary schools in Switzerland”

The research addresses a well-documented but under-studied problem: despite being state-funded, Switzerland’s academically elite secondary schools (called Gymnasia) significantly underrepresent students from racial and socioeconomic minority backgrounds. The project investigates why — and what can be done about it.

Specifically, the project aims to:

• Uncover the logic behind how classism and racism reproduce themselves within Swiss Gymnasia
• Identify successful existing practices for combating discrimination at these schools
• Understand the real-world effects of institutional discrimination on minoritised students and how those students navigate it
• Share findings directly with school headteachers to drive meaningful, evidence-based change

The theoretical framework is grounded in post-structuralist processual perspectives, drawing on the work of scholar Sara Ahmed (2012). This isn’t abstract research — it’s designed to produce findings with practical impact on Swiss education policy and practice.

The project is led by Dr. Sara Landolt, principal investigator at the Department of Geography, University of Zurich.

Your Role as a PhD Researcher

This is an active, hands-on research position. You won’t be spending four years in a library. As a doctoral researcher, you will:

• Develop and carry out the outlined research project in collaboration with Dr. Landolt
• Conduct original qualitative fieldwork — including in-depth interviews with headteachers and with racially and/or socioeconomically minoritised students at Gymnasia in German-speaking Switzerland
• Lead data analysis, including participative data analysis workshops that involve the research participants themselves
• Complete a paper-based doctoral dissertation
• Actively participate in project workshops and international academic conferences
• Contribute to academic and practice-oriented publications
• Contribute to teaching in Human Geography and to services in the Geography Teacher Training unit at UZH
• Participate in the Zurich Graduate School in Geography & Earth System Science — a structured doctoral programme with dedicated academic support

This is a collaborative, intellectually stimulating position. You’ll have real responsibilities, a clear publication pathway, and a structured support system around you.

Who Can Apply? (Eligibility and Profile)

This position requires a strong match across academic background, language skills, and research orientation.

Academic qualifications:

• A completed Master’s degree in geography, sociology, educational studies, youth studies, social anthropology, social work, or a closely related field, or you are about to complete one
• Demonstrated substantial experience in qualitative research
• Experience with participative methods is an advantage (not required)
• A strong academic writing sample that demonstrates your capacity for rigorous analysis

Research interests and orientation:

• A genuine, critical interest in questions of (in)equality, justice, and institutional discrimination
• Curiosity about the experiences of young people and the enjoyment of fieldwork that involves direct engagement with them
• The motivation to work with sensitive topics — racism and classism — in an intellectually serious and ethically responsible way

Language skills, this is non-negotiable:

• You must speak and write both German and English fluently
• The fieldwork is conducted in German-speaking Switzerland, and German fluency is essential for conducting interviews with students and headteachers
• Academic outputs will be in English

Personal qualities:

• Strong communication and teamwork skills
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a research team

What You Get (Benefits)

A note on Swiss SNSF salaries: Doctoral salaries funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation are significantly higher than PhD stipends in most other countries. In 2026, SNSF doctoral salaries typically range from CHF 47,000 to CHF 50,000+ per year (approximately $52,000–$56,000 USD or £41,000–£44,000 GBP equivalent) — though the exact rate for this position should be confirmed directly with UZH. This is a living wage in Zurich, not a subsistence grant.

Key Dates

The initial deadline is 8 July 2026 — which means you have very little time if you’re reading this close to publication. Shortlisted candidates are notified by mid-July, and the position is expected to start in October.

Even if you miss the initial deadline, applications continue to be reviewed until the position is filled — so don’t self-eliminate without trying.

Application Documents: Full Checklist

All documents must be submitted as a single PDF file, in English, through the UZH online application portal.

• Motivation letter — explaining why you’re applying and how you meet the listed criteria
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Contact details for two referees
• Academic transcripts — Bachelor’s, Master’s, or equivalent
• Writing sample — something that demonstrates your previous academic work (e.g., your Master’s thesis or a chapter from it)
• 400–500-word essay in English outlining your interest in the research project, addressing either:
  • (a) Why you are interested in researching classism and/or racism in education, and how you intend to approach these issues conceptually, OR
  • (b) Why are you interested in doing research with young people, and what methodological challenges this may entail

How to Write the 400–500 Word Essay

This essay is where many candidates either distinguish themselves or blend into the pile. Some honest guidance:

If you choose option (a) — racism and classism in education:
Don’t write a general statement about caring about inequality. The committee is looking for conceptual engagement. Reference a specific theoretical framework, a scholar, or a body of literature you’re already in conversation with. Explain how you would think about institutional racism and classism — not just that these things exist and matter.

If you choose option (b) — research with young people:
This is about methodology, not sentiment. Explain what you understand about the specific challenges of conducting ethical, rigorous qualitative research with minors or young people — issues of power, consent, trust, representation, and data interpretation. Show you’ve thought about it practically, not just philosophically.

Either way: be specific, be honest, and show intellectual depth. A 400-word essay that demonstrates genuine engagement with the research topic will outperform a 500-word essay of earnest but generic statements every time.

Why the University of Zurich?

UZH is Switzerland’s largest university, with approximately 30,000 students and 10,000 employees. It sits consistently among the top 100 universities globally and has particular strengths in social sciences, geography, and interdisciplinary research.

The Department of Geography at UZH houses the Geographies of Young People and Education research group — an internationally recognised unit with a strong track record in qualitative research on education, space, and social inequality. This is not a peripheral or underfunded department. You’ll be embedded in a group that takes this research seriously and has the infrastructure to support it.

Zurich itself is consistently ranked the #1 city in the world for quality of life (Mercer, EIU). It’s expensive — there’s no point pretending otherwise — but an SNSF-funded doctoral salary is structured to live on in Zurich. You’ll have access to lakes, the Alps, world-class public transport, a rich cultural scene, and a city that functions with extraordinary efficiency.

Who Should Seriously Consider This Position?

This position is best suited for candidates who:

• Have a Master’s in a relevant social science discipline and strong qualitative research experience
• Are fluent in both German and English — this is the highest barrier to entry and immediately narrows the field
• Have a genuine intellectual stake in questions of race, class, and institutional inequality — not just a professional interest but a personal one that comes through in writing
• Want to be based in Europe for four years and build an academic career in the European research context

For African and Nigerian applicants: if you have German language proficiency and a strong social science background, do not assume this opportunity isn’t for you. UZH explicitly welcomes applications from individuals underrepresented in academic positions. The field of critical race and education research in Europe actively needs diverse scholarly voices — including from scholars who understand what structural exclusion looks like from lived experience, not just theory.

Quick Summary Table

Apply Now

For more information and application: 

Visit the official website of the Fully Funded PhD in Human Geography at the University of Zurich 2026: 4-Year Position with Swiss National Science Foundation Salary