PhD position: Global Talent Interdependence and Europe’s Strategic Innovation Ambitions, Utrech

Overview

Location Utrecht University, The Netherlands

There is an open PhD position at Utrecht University, within the Economic Geography section of the Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, and in close collaboration with the Innovation Studies section of the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development.

The project is titled “Global Talent Interdependence and Europe’s Strategic Innovation Ambitions” and explores how international mobility of STEM talent shapes innovation, competitiveness, and technological sovereignty in Europe. The research combines large-scale longitudinal datasets, publication and patent data, and quantitative/mixed-method approaches at the intersection of:
Economic Geography, Innovation Studies, Migration & Mobility, and Science & Technology Policy.

The Final date to receive applications is 25 May 2026.