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 position, starting September 1, 2022. 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 2022) 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 that focuses on – the lack of – economic convergence and resilience in the euro area. The project aims to adding to the empirical evidence why economic convergence did not proceed according to expectations. The empirical evidence should contribute to designing policy options strengthening and improving the functioning of EMU.  The project is a joint project with De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) in Amsterdam. The candidate is expected to spend part of his time at DNB, increasingly so during the tenure, and will do her/his research in the context of the research and policy work of the Economic Policy and Research Department of DNB. She/he may also be involved in actual DNB policy work. . The candidate is also expected to contribute to teaching activities at the department, taking max. 20% of total time.

More in detail, the research will focus on (1) the state of convergence and possible explanations why convergence came to a halt, (2) how vulnerable individual euro zone members are to asymmetric shocks and (3) which private and public shock-absorbing mechanisms are in place to make the system more resilient. From the convergence side, it raises the issue how far convergence should go and under what conditions incomplete convergence could still lead to a stable equilibrium. High persistence of regional differences in per capita income and living conditions within nation states is a well-known phenomenon. It raises questions on the underlying determinants of these differences as well as the characteristics of the institutional framework that appear to make it a status quo. Moreover, some argue that EMU itself has been contributing to divergence. We intend to investigate how asymmetric shocks as well as asymmetric responses to common (policy) shocks have played a role in widening the gap between countries. From the resilience side, the main question is which mechanisms exist to cope with asymmetric shocks. Both the academic and societal debate focus on creating sufficient national shock absorbers on the one hand, and on the added benefits of building cross-country shock absorbers on the other.

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, and will be able to participate in the research activities of the Eurosystem. Both MILE and De Nederlandsche Bank have 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 PhD position at the School of Business and Economics might be the challenge you are looking for.

Please submit your application to recruitment-sbe@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Ultimately July 1, 2022. 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 August 31, 2022 – all information will be deleted, unless the applicant agrees with extended storage for a fixed term.

Fixed-term contract: 4 years.

Remuneration will be according to standard salary levels for PhD students starting with a gross monthly salary of € 2,443 with a yearly growth to € 3,122 (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, and to be able and willing to regularly spend time at DNB, located in Amsterdam. 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> About UM > Working at UM

Maastricht University - School of Business and Economics

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 22,000 students and about 5,000 employees. Reflecting the university's strong international profile, a fair amount of both students and staff are from abroad. The university hosts 6 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.