The research project Political Economy of Firms' Relocation Decisions in Europe (RESHORE) examines the political economy of European firms' relocation decisions, with a particular focus on reshoring and friendshoring away from China. It investigates if and how geopolitical tensions, public backlash against globalization, and policy instruments shape firms' behavior and motivate production relocation. The project adopts a firm-centric perspective and theoretically aims to contirbute to international relations, political economy and trade policy literatures. It is methodologically open to both quantitative and qualitative approaches.
Two fully funded PhD students will develop their own dissertation projects within the broader RESHORE research agenda. Further details on the project are available here.

Your tasks

• Organize, develop, and pursue a PhD dissertation related to RESHORE and the topic of firm-centric economic policy making in Europe – contributing to international relations, international political economy, and trade policy literatures
• Collect and analyze data regarding European firms' responses to geopolitical developments, trade-relevant policies, and public pressure on firms' behavior
• Contribute to theory building on firms' role and behavior in global economic governance
• Delivering research output to RESHORE project and collaborative research activities within the project team
• Participate in academic conferences, workshops, and support research in the group
• Engage in limited teaching and academic service in line with HSG regulations
• Actively participate in the intellectual life of the research group and the Institute of Political Science
• Help organize events within the framework of the project and its outreach objectives

Your profile
We are looking for highly motivated candidates with a strong interest in international relations, political economy, and trade policy.
You should have:

• An excellent Master's degree (or be close to completion) in Political Science, Economics, International Relations, or a related field
• Strong analytical skills and demonstrated research potential
• Excellent knowledge of quantitative or qualitative research methods
• A strong interest in firm-level analysis, political behavior of firms, and trade and industrial policy making in Europe.
• Excellent command of English (written and spoken); good working knowledge of German is an asset but not required
• A high level of independence, curiosity, and willingness to engage in collaborative research
• We explicitly encourage applications from candidates with either quantitative or qualitative methodological backgrounds, as the project aims to integrate different research traditions.