PhD at our Centres of Competence

The Jacques Delors Centre provides its PhD researchers with plenty of opportunity to immerse themselves in a vibrant, supportive, and diverse community. Research interests at the Centre cut across disciplinary boundaries and encompass the law, politics, and political economy of European integration. Situated in the heart of Berlin and integrating one of the country’s most renowned think tanks on European affairs, the Centre also strives to build a bridge to the practice of EU politics. Scholars and practitioners from across the continent regularly visit the Centre, either to present their cutting-edge research at our weekly European Governance Colloquium or for longer research stays. The Jacques Delors Centre may well be the perfect environment to put your PhD project into practice.

The Centre for Digital Governance offers its PhD researchers a unique opportunity to become part of a vibrant, interdisciplinary, and diverse academic community. Within the framework of the Digital Governance Research Colloquium, the Centre brings together scholars and practitioners to present their research on topics relevant to researchers at the Center, including PhD students. In addition, the Centre is part of international research projects, engages in consultations such as for digitalisation of government or the development of the Digital Services Acts and the AI Act, and organises public events on a variety of topics with high-level partner institutions from business, civil society as well as government. 

The Centre for Fundamental Rights carries out research focusing on contemporary and emerging challenges to the protection of fundamental rights in domestic, regional and global governance. The Centre offers a stimulating research environment with its fast-growing international research team, as well as outstanding opportunities to engage with Berlin’s academic human rights community through its various activities and projects, and indeed with human rights researchers and institutions globally. Current research at the Centre focuses on a range of regional and global human rights challenges, including authoritarian legalism in Europe, global and European governance of migration and refugee protection, the climate crisis and the Inter-American Human Rights System, the global fight against impunity, and the efficacy of the United Nations as a human rights law institution.

If you would like to pursue your PhD on topics such as civil and ethnonationalist conflict, the consequences of digitalisation for conflict, terrorism, irregular and forced migration, grand strategy or questions of nuclear and cyber security, then apply for a PhD at the Centre for International Security. As a home for the study and debate of the complex security challenges of the 21st century, we offer our PhD researchers close supervision, access to an active and engaging research community as well as partnerships with leading international institutions in the field of international security. Located in downtown Berlin close to governmental, international and non-governmental organisations, the Centre hosts several high-level public events per year and welcomes numerous academic scholars for short-term and long-term research stays. If you are striving for excellence and are looking for a vibrant, productive and energetic environment to conduct your PhD project, the Centre for International Security may be the ideal setting for you.

The Centre for Sustainability is a hub for teaching, research and policy advice, preparing future leaders and informing the design of effective yet sustainable public policies. A focus of our work is on the global transition to net zero greenhouse gas emissions in the context of sustainability. This will require a transformation of energy systems towards renewable energy, and sustainability transitions in other economic sectors. The Centre’s research initially focuses on climate governance (institutions, instruments, political economy) and energy economics and policy (renewables, electricity markets, energy system modeling). The Centre and its team offer a stimulating and collaborative lab style environment to develop and discuss your ideas and conduct rigorous and excellent research in these areas. In addition to the opportunity to work with researchers conducting high-level policy-relevant research, you will get in touch with visiting scholars, experts, and practitioners, and benefit from the vibrant climate, energy, and sustainability policy community in Berlin.