PhD Studentship in East Asian Politics

Newcastle University
United Kingdom (Newcastle upon Tyne, England)

Newcastle University’s School of Geography, Politics and Sociology invites applications for a fully funded PhD Studentship in East Asian Politics
. This doctoral research opportunity supports an outstanding candidate to pursue original research in topics related to East Asian politics within the broad discipline of Politics. For the purposes of this studentship, East Asia includes countries such as China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Mongolia, North Korea and Thailand. Research may focus on any major sub-field of political inquiry, including comparative politics, international relations, political behaviour, political economy, institutions, ideology, diaspora populations, foreign relations, public policy, sustainability, gender and politics, and related areas.

Funding is provided to cover tuition fees at the home or international rate for up to 3 years, a tax‑free maintenance stipend at the national doctoral stipend level (UKRI minimum), and additional support for fieldwork and research consumables pertinent to the student’s project.

Applicants should hold, or be shortly expected to complete, a high‑quality honours degree (minimum UK Upper Second Class or equivalent) and a relevant Master’s degree in Politics, International Relations, or a closely related social science or humanities discipline. A strong demonstrable interest in East Asian politics and in social scientific inquiry is essential. International applicants whose first language is not English will generally be expected to demonstrate English language proficiency equivalent to IELTS 7.0 with minimum 6.5 in each component, or an equivalent recognised qualification.

Candidates are expected to identify supervisors within the School’s Politics faculty whose research expertise aligns with their proposed project.

• Demonstrated academic strength in political science or related fields with a clear commitment to research.
• Ability to formulate and pursue an independent doctoral research project on East Asian political topics.
• Strong written and oral communication skills appropriate for academic research and scholarship.

This studentship includes full tuition fee coverage (at home or overseas rates) for the duration of the award (typically 3 to 3.5 years) plus a tax‑free national doctoral stipend (equivalent to the standard UKRI maintenance rate, currently around £20,780 per year for 2025/26) and additional funding toward research‑related costs such as fieldwork and consumables.

The closing date for applications was 15 April 2026 (as advertised on ).