PhD Position in Higher Education for Peace and Conflict Resolution

Constructor University Bremen gGmbH invites applications for a three-year, full-time PhD position in Bremen, Germany, at the intersection of Higher Education Studies, Education, Sociology, Political Science, Peace and Conflict Studies, and Social or Political Psychology. The successful candidate will be supervised by Prof. Dr. Isak Frumin and Prof. Dr. Klaus Boehnke.

The position focuses on how universities develop peace education and constructive conflict resolution (CCR) skills across teaching, student life, and institutional structures. The project explores how higher education institutions foster capacities for dialogue, disagreement, collaboration, and peaceful conflict engagement in diverse and often polarized environments.

A central component of the PhD project will be the comparative mapping of the development of peace education and the learning of constructive conflict resolution skills in higher education internationally. This will include identifying and systematically analyzing university curricula and institutional initiatives across countries and higher education systems. The project will involve a need for intensive data collection, and the candidate should be prepared to dedicate substantial effort to the systematic collection, processing, and management of data.

The successful candidate will also contribute to ongoing international Erasmus+ projects and to a broader emerging research agenda on conflict engagement and intercultural skills in higher education.

Research Group and Collaboration

The successful candidate will become a member of the research group "Innovative Models of Universities," part of the Observatory of Higher Education Innovation, which brings together researchers and PhD students from different countries.

As a member of the group, the candidate will contribute to joint seminars and to the group’s communication activities.

Mandatory requirements:

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in education, higher education studies, sociology, political science, peace and conflict studies, computational social science, psychology or a related field

• Strong analytical and academic writing skills in English

• Experience with quantitative research and data processing

• Experience with, or demonstrated capacity to learn, web scraping and systematic web-based data collection

• Interest in higher education, conflict resolution, peace education, or related research

• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in an international research environment

Preferred qualifications:

• Proficiency with a relevant data-analysis environment, preferably Python or R, and SPSS

• Background in comparative higher education research

• Background in conflict resolution, mediation, peace education, or intercultural education

• Experience with survey analysis, program evaluation, or mixed-methods research

• Experience working on international or EU-funded research projects

• Interest in linking theory and practice in higher education contexts

• Proficiency in German is desirable but not mandatory

Funding & Appointment Terms

The successful candidate will be appointed for three years and will receive a full tuition waiver for the PhD program together with a modest tax-free stipend. The successful candidate is eligible to apply to become an affiliated fellow of the Bremen International Graduate School of Social Sciences (BIGSSS) and to apply to external scholarships programs.

Your Application:

Starting date: preferably by 1 November 2026.

Required documents:

• Cover letter (1–2 pages) outlining motivation, research interests, methodological experience, and fit with the project

• CV, including publications, research experience, and relevant technical skills

• Contact details for 2–3 academic referees

Applicants with experience in web scraping, programming, or quantitative data analysis are encouraged to briefly describe relevant projects, datasets, or code they have previously worked with.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interviews and may be asked to complete a short research and data-analysis exercise.

Please note that only applications submitted through the official application portal will be considered for recognition.