PhD-candidate at the Department of Macro, International and Labour Economics, Maastricht University

The Department of Macro, International and Labour Economics (MILE) at the School of Business and Economics (SBE) of Maastricht University offers a 4-year PhD-candidate position, starting September 1, 2021. Eligible candidates must have successfully completed a – preferably 2-year (120 ECTS) – Master’s degree (MSc or MPhil) in (Quantitative) Economics, Econometrics, or a related area (before September 2021) and have an excellent command of English.

We are looking for a candidate who has – proven – interest in and wants to work on a research project about prospective first generation students, i.e. students who are in educational tracks in secondary education that qualify for higher education but whose parents do not have higher education backgrounds.

The aim of the project is to investigate the non-formal obstacles for prospective first generation students to enter higher education. While formally, all groups of students should have equal access to higher education, the students, their parents or their teachers might not perceive this as such. We will focus on analyzing whether the expectations, personality and economic preferences in relation to time, risk, and ambiguity differ systematically between first generation and other students and their parents. Expectations, personality and preferences are important predictors of choices regarding higher education. We already explored possibilities to perform a field-experiment in schools on these topics and schools are open for this.

The candidate is expected to contribute to teaching activities at the department, taking max. 20% of her/his time.

We offer a dynamic and challenging job in an internationally oriented organisation. The candidate will be part of an international network of top universities and renowned scholars within the field. MILE has strong collaborations with other institutes and departments at Maastricht University and elsewhere.

Are you self-motivated, curious and interested in research? Do you have a record of high academic achievement (e.g., good grades and/or involvement in other academic activities) and the skills required to become an excellent researcher? If so, then a position as PhD-candidate at the School of Business and Economics might be the challenge you are looking for.

Remuneration will be according to standard salary levels for PhD students starting with a gross monthly salary of € 2,395 with a yearly growth to € 3,061 (based on a full-time appointment). Each year the standard salary is supplemented with a holiday allowance of 8% and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%.

You have to be willing to move to (the vicinity of) Maastricht. Depending on your personal situation, you will be eligible for an allowance for moving costs or for alternative housing. Other secondary conditions include a pension scheme and partially paid parental leave.

The terms of employment of Maastricht University are set out in the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities (CAO). Furthermore, local UM provisions also apply. For more information look at the website: http://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl > Support > UM employees.

Maastricht University is renowned for its unique, innovative, problem-based learning system, which is characterized by a small-scale and student-oriented approach. Research at UM is characterized by a multidisciplinary and thematic approach, and is concentrated in research institutes and schools. Maastricht University has around 20,000 students and 4,700 employees. Reflecting the university's strong international profile, a fair amount of both students and staff are from abroad. The university hosts six faculties: Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Faculty of Law, School of Business and Economics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience. For more information, see http://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/

For more information on the department MILE see:  https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/research/department-macro-international-and-labour-economics-mile

Please submit your application to recruitment-sbe@maastrichtuniversity.nl ultimately February 14, 2021. The application should include:

- Curriculum Vitae (CV)

- Motivation letter

- Diplomas/degrees including a grade transcript of previous education at Master level

- Names and details of two references who support your application (e.g., professor/supervisor from MSc program)

- Formal evidence on analytical skills (GRE/GMAT) and/or language proficiency (TOEFL/IELTS), if available 

- Proof of academic writing skills by one of the following: BSc thesis, MSc thesis, or research paper.

All applicant information will be processed in line with the EU GDPR. It will be archived in a confidential UM (digital) location which is only accessible to authorised members of the selection committee. Ultimately 1 month after the completion of the procedure – but at the latest June 30, 2021 – all information will be deleted, unless the applicant agrees with extended storage for a fixed term.

For inquiries, please contact prof. Trudie Schils via t.schils@maastrichtuniversity.nl or prof. Bart Golsteyn via b.golsteyn@maastrichtuniversity.nl.

Maastricht University is committed to nurturing an inclusive culture and a welcoming atmosphere. This inclusiveness strategy has resulted in a very diverse representation of nationalities and cultures. We strongly believe that diversity (including, but not limited to nationality, age and gender) of the staff and student population will increase the quality of UM education & research. Fostering diversity and inclusivity creates an academic community where individual talents thrive, teamwork and good citizenship is stimulated, and values and differences are cherished. We strongly encourage you to apply if you are qualified for this position.