Two PhD student positions for the Research Centre CRC-TRR 288

The University of Bonn is an international research university offering a broad range of subjects. With a 200-year history, some 31,500 students, more than 6,000 employees and an outstanding reputation in Germany and abroad, the University of Bonn is one of the leading universities in Germany and has been awarded the status of a University of Excellence.

The Department of Geography is inviting applications for two

PhD student positions (70%) (f/m/nb)

to start from April 2026 limited to 3.75 years according to gem. § 2 (1) WissZeitVG.

The positions are part of the Collaborative Research Centre CRC-TRR 228 “Future Rural Africa – Future-Making and Social-Ecological Transformation”, see www.futureruralafrica.de. Specifically, the PhD students will work with project C03 “Green futures – the transformation of waterscapes in East Africa”. The project is jointly led by Prof. Jessica Budds and Prof. Detlef Müller-Mahn, both in Development Geography, and Dr. Eric Kioko, Social Anthropologist at Kenyatta University, Nairobi.

Job description:

The doctoral candidates will pursue research within the scope of the research group, on which they will write and defend a doctoral thesis. This entails:

• formulating an innovative and critical research aim and question;
• reviewing literature and constructing a conceptual framework;
• planning and conducting fieldwork in Africa;
• analysing data and writing up results;
• presenting findings and writing academic publications.

Your profile:

We are looking for excellent candidates (master's degree or equivalent) with a good understanding of social science theoretical approaches to environment and development, e.g., Political Ecology, and methods of empirical field research, as well as good writing and presentation skills. Practical experience in the Global South is an advantage.

We offer:

• ambitious and novel research in a motivated and team-oriented research group,
• excellent international research environment and network,
• extensive training, supervision, and support,
• remuneration in accordance with TV-L pay grade 13.

The University of Bonn is committed to diversity and equal opportunity. It is certified as a family-friendly university. The University of Bonn seeks to increase female representation in staffing areas where women are underrepresented and provide special career support. It thus expressly encourages qualified women to apply. Applications will be handled in accordance with the NRW State Gender Equality Act (Landesgleichstellungsgesetz, LGG NRW). Applications from qualified candidates with a certified severe disability or from those of equal status are especially welcome.

We look forward to receiving your complete application quoting reference 2025/285 a 1-page cover letter, your CV, Master’s diploma (or if not yet available: latest transcript of your grades), and an example of your writing (a paper, a thesis, work-in-progress), and names and contact details of two potential referees, via email to applications.land.economics@uni-bonn.de. The deadline for applications is 18.01.2026. Interviews are planned for the last week of January 2026.