PhD Position in Global Trade, Supply Chains and Climate Shocks

PhD position in Global Trade, Supply Chains and Climate Shocks

Research Division KOF Lab of ETH Zurich’s KOF Swiss Economic Institute is seeking a PhD candidate to study the propagation of weather and climate shocks in quantitative trade network models. The position is part of the National Centre of Competence in Research project Climate Extremes and Society:
Strengthening Resilience (NCCR CLIM+). NCCR CLIM+ is a new, interdisciplinary, Switzerland-wide climate research community involving multiple investigators at ETH Zurich and other Swiss institutions.

• The project at KOF Lab will center around assessing and promoting the resilience of supply chains by building and solving quantitative global equilibrium models of trade networks.
• We will use firm-level data to estimate the industry/country-level effects of various weather and climate shocks and input the estimated impacts into the model.
• To this end, the doctoral candidate will leverage theoretical, computational, and econometric tools to study public policy questions related to the resilience of global supply chains to climate change.
• The doctorate will be conducted within the doctoral program of D‑MTEC (Department of Management, Technology, and Economics) and is expected to be completed within four years.
• The candidate will be supervised primarily by Professor Hans Gersbach and Dr. Kieran Walsh.
• The position is for up to four years. The salary is in accordance with the PhD regulations of the Swiss National Science Foundation, which funds the NCCR.

• The applicant should have a master’s degree in economics or finance. Candidates with a master’s degree in mathematics or statistics who have completed some coursework in economics and are prepared to do intensive economics PhD training may also be considered.
• Applicants must be highly proficient in English.
• The applicant should be proficient in either MATLAB, Python, or Julia and willing to work in MATLAB.
• Prior coursework in trade theory and environmental economics would be a major asset.
• Experience with panel data econometrics would be beneficial.

• Opportunity to apply cutting‑edge economic theory to practical policy issues at the intersection of trade and climate change.
• Opportunity to contribute to NCCR CLIM+ research discussions.
• Membership in KOF, Switzerland’s leading academic institute for applied economic research.
• Access to a large and vibrant community of economic researchers in Zurich and beyond.

In line with our values, ETH Zurich encourages an inclusive culture. We promote equality of opportunity, value diversity and nurture a working and learning environment in which the rights and dignity of all our staff and students are respected. Sustainability is a core value for us – we are consistently working towards a climate‑neutral future.