PhD on Diasporas and Right-Wing Nationalism

The Department of Social Sciences and Business, Roskilde University, invites applications for a PhD fellowship in International Studies from September 1st, 2025, or as soon as possible thereafter. The position as PhD is limited to a period of 3 years.

The PhD Project
The PhD will be part of the research project “Localizing diaspora nationalism in the era of the radical “Global Right”” (GLOCALRIGHT). There is a growing concern with the radical “Global Right”, embodied by the rise of autocratic leaders around the world. Nationalist diaspora groups have been important to the global strategies of these leaders because their political actions (e.g. financial contributions and lobbying efforts) support illiberal political agendas ‘back home’ and create a permissive environment for these agendas in global politics. However, we know little about how diaspora nationalism is shaped by political dynamics in the adopted homelands. Therefore, GLOCALRIGHT asks, what impact does the diaspora’s adopted homeland have on the nature and purpose of their nationalism? Empirically, it will study Hindu nationalist diaspora groups in South Africa, focusing on how diaspora communities navigate and negotiate the sociopolitical histories, structures, institutions, norms and values of their adopted homeland (of South Africa), while striving to fulfil their political aspirations for the ancestral homeland (of India).

The PhD project will conduct an ethnographic study (e.g., qualitative interviews, participant observation, focus group discussions) of Hindu nationalist organizations and individuals in South Africa. The accepted candidate will be expected to conduct five months of fieldwork.

Responsibilities and tasks
The PhD fellow will be expected to undertake research and up to 500 teaching hours at the Department of Social Sciences and Business. They will be responsible for carrying out independent research under the supervision of Associate Professor Somdeep Sen (Roskilde University) and Professor Alf Gunvald Nilsen (University of Pretoria). During employment PhD fellows are required to take 30 ECTS of course work and have a stay at another research environment in Denmark or abroad. For more information, see chapter 3, Ministerial Order on the PhD Programme at the Universities and Certain Higher Artistic Educational Institutions. Read more on what it entails to be a PhD Fellow at Roskilde University.

Qualifications
The PhD fellow must hold a Master’s degree or equivalent within a social science discipline, such as Political Science, International Relations, Sociology, Anthropology, Internation Development Studies or Global Studies.

The following qualifications are required:

• Knowledge of relevant theoretical approaches
• Experience working with qualitative methods
• Interest in diaspora communities
• Interest in the politics of the radical “Global Right”
• Excellent communication skills in both written and oral English

The following qualifications are desirable:

• Relevant research experience (e.g., related to migration, far-right movements, diaspora politics, nationalism)
• Academic knowledge of modern South African history and society
• Academic knowledge of history of South Asian migration
• Knowledge of a South Asian language
• Fieldwork experience

The PhD fellow is required to be enterprising and to possess good communication skills and to be a visible, involved participant in the department’s daily activities, in addition to being willing to engage in disciplinary and interdisciplinary collaboration across the department.

Assessment
In the assessment regarding employment consideration will be given to;

• Relevant Master’s degree or equivalent (according to Danish Qualifications Framework for Higher Education).
• Any additional academic requirements stated in the job advertisement.

In the assessment regarding enrollment consideration will also be given to the following criteria:

• Grades at the Master’s degree level and any further professional qualifications
• Coherence, quality and relevance of the PhD project proposal (no more than 5 pages).
  This proposal must include:
  • Research problem statement
  • Literature Review
  • A description of the methodological and theoretical choices
  • A realistic and feasible timeline
• Ability to complete the PhD project
• Relevance of the project to the profile of the Doctoral School

About the Doctoral School
The accepted candidate will be enrolled as a PhD fellow at the Doctoral School of Social Sciences and Business with approximately 45 PhD fellows from all over the world. It provides PhD training and research within an interdisciplinary, international and professional environment. It is part of a dynamic community of researchers who share a commitment to understanding society in diverse contexts of change and global engagement. Researchers engage in topics that are geographically, theoretically and methodologically diverse. The Doctoral School has one PhD program. The program offers work in progress seminars, thematic professional development seminars, PhD courses, feedback, and social activities for the enrolled PhD fellows.

For more information about the Doctoral School contact the Head of the Doctoral School, Professor Lars Buur ([email protected]).

About The Research Group
The PhD fellow will be associated with the International Development Research Group (IDRG). The research group is rooted in the International Development Studies Program at Roskilde University that was established in 1985. It is the oldest and one of the largest programs of its kind in Scandinavia. IDRG scholars investigate development trends, challenges, and achievements in contexts of local, national and global interconnectedness and new processes of inequality. IDRG draws upon and develops contextual analysis for empirically grounded theorization, thereby contributing to developmental policy debates and solutions. IDRG scholars have expertise in Anthropology, Area Studies, Cultural Studies, Development Economics, Gender Studies, Geography, History, International Political Economy, Political Science, and Sociology. Research projects currently affiliated in IDRG deal with a wide range of topics including natural resource contestations, global aid flows, processes of neo- and post colonialism, urban development, green transitions, and youth mobilization. In recent years, research councils as diverse as the Independent Research Fund Denmark, the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (FFU), Horizon 2020, the Dutch Research Council, the Carlsberg Foundation, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have financed projects led by IDRG researchers.

Questions
For further information about the position, please contact Associate Professor Somdeep Sen ([email protected]) or PhD Coordinator Ida Bruhn Bull ([email protected]).

Terms of employment
The employment is on full time, 37 hours per week and the PhD fellow will refer to Morten Frederiksen, Dean of Social Sciences and Business.

The position will be filled according to the Agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC) and Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities.

Application procedure
After the deadline for applications the Dean will shortlist applicants for assessment with assistance from the recruitment committee including the chairperson of the assessment committee.

Shortly after the application deadline all applicants will be notified whether or not their application has been selected for assessment.

The shortlisted applicants will be informed about the composition of the assessment committee, and each applicant will be given the opportunity to comment on the composition of the committee and - later on - their assessment.

Once the recruitment process is completed, all applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application.

Application
To apply for the position go to www.ruc.dk/en/job/

Only applications in English are accepted.

Applications must include:

1. Cover letter (no more than 2 pages)

2. CV (no more than 5 pages)

3. Documentation of education including grades from Master’s programme or equivalent

4. Your description of the PhD project (no more than 5 pages)

5. Your time schedule of the PhD project

6. If applicable: Documentation for any research experience, work experience or publications.

Please submit your application no later than April 21, 2025.

Material received after this date will not be taken into consideration.

Roskilde University wishes to reflect the diversity of society and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.