PhD student in Political Science with an orientation towards Politics & AI

The Department of Political Science is a dynamic and strong education and research department at the Faculty of Social Sciences at Stockholm University. The Department aims to be nationally leading and internationally prominent within its field of research and education.

The Department of Political Science announces one vacant position in the doctoral program with an orientation towards the Politics of Artificial Intelligence. The Ph.D. position is fully funded for 4 years and positioned at the Department of Political Science. Starting date is January 2026 or on a mutually agreed upon date.

More information about us, please visit: The Department of Political Science

Project description

We are offering a PhD position as part of the WASP-HS Research Cluster “AI, Power, and Politics” – a collaboration between Stockholm University, University of Gothenburg, Umeå University and the Institute for Futures Studies. The overarching aim of the cluster is to analyze how AI-driven technologies mediate power relations, influence political deliberation, and challenge foundational democratic values. Specifically, the cluster addresses three larger questions: (i) What are the implications of AI for opinion dynamics and public trust in media ecosystems? (ii) How does AI affect democratic values, such as legitimacy, accountability, transparency, inclusivity, and trust in public decision-making? (iii) In what ways is AI reshaping governance and power relations on national and global levels? The PhD project is expected to address one of these themes.

The PhD position is part of the Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Program – Humanity and Society (WASP-HS). The vision of WASP-HS is to foster novel interdisciplinary knowledge in the humanities and social sciences about AI and autonomous systems and their impact on human and social development. WASP-HS enables cutting edge research, expertise, and competence building in the humanities and social sciences. For more information about the research and other activities conducted within WASP-HS please visit http://wasp-hs.org/.

The PhD candidate will take part in the WASP-HS graduate school, which provides foundations, perspectives, and state-of-the-art knowledge in the different disciplines taught by leading researchers in the field. Through an ambitious program with research visits, partner universities, and visiting lecturers, the graduate school actively supports forming a strong multi-disciplinary and international professional network between PhD candidates, researchers and practitioners in the field. It thus provides added value on top of the existing PhD programs at the partner universities, offering unique opportunities for participants.

Qualification requirements

In order to be admitted to postgraduate education, the applicant must have the general and specific entry requirements. The qualification requirements must be met by the deadline for applications.

You meet general entry requirements if you have completed a second-cycle degree, or completed courses equivalent to at least 240 higher education credits, of which 60 credits must be in the second cycle, or have otherwise acquired equivalent knowledge in Sweden or elsewhere.

Specific entry requirements are described in the general syllabus for doctoral studies in Political Science and specify that the applicant must have:

• completed higher education equivalent to 150 Swedish university credits, including studies at the advanced level (master’s level) of at least 60 Swedish university credits in the political science subject, or the equivalent education
• a completed written academic, independent work with a least the grade ’pass’, equivalent to at least 15 Swedish university credits in the political science subject
• completed additional 90 Swedish university credits, or the equivalent, of higher education in subjects relevant to the graduate programme, and
• proficiency in English corresponding to at least 550 credits on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

Understanding Swedish is not a requirement at the time of admission. The applicant should, however, be prepared within a couple of years to carry out teaching and administrative tasks that require knowledge and usage of the Swedish language.

Selection

The selection among the eligible candidates will be based on their capacity to benefit from the training. The following criteria will be used to assess this capacity:

1. The quality of previous written works (e.g., theses, articles, and reports):
     - Empirical substance
     - Independence in structure and analysis
     - Clear research design, i.e., clear research problem, clear research questions, well justified delimitations, explicit relations to theory, and methodological awareness.
2. Expectation that the thesis project will be completed within the intended time frame:
     - Previously demonstrated ability to complete tasks within specified time limits
     - Problem definition and cogency in the research plan. 

Admission Regulations for Doctoral Studies at Stockholm University.

About the employment

We offer a fixed-term employment as a doctoral student according to Chapter 5 of the Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100). The period of employment may not be longer than what corresponds to full-time doctoral education for four years. As a doctoral student, you should primarily devote yourself to your own doctoral education, but the employment may include work with education, research and administration to a limited extent (maximum 20 %).

A new employment as a doctoral student is for a maximum of one year, the employment is then renewed for a maximum of two years at a time.

Stockholm University strives to be a workplace free from discrimination and with equal opportunities for all.

Contact

For more information, please contact the application administrator, antagning.forskarutbildning@statsvet.su.se. For research related questions contact Professor Eva Erman eva.erman@statsvet.su.se, or Professor Jonas Tallberg jonas.tallberg@statsvet.su.se.

Application

Apply for the PhD student position at Stockholm University's recruitment system. Attach a personal letter and CV as well as the attachments requested in the application form. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the job advertisement, and that it is submitted before the deadline.

The instructions for applicants are available at: How to apply for a position.