PhD position 'AI and the new geography of work'

The Economic Geography Department of the Faculty of Spatial Sciences at the University of Groningen is looking for a PhD researcher on the topic ‘AI and the new geography of work’, a project which is funded by a Starting Grant from the Faculty of Spatial Sciences. 

What are you going to do?

Artificial intelligence is transforming the world of work, reshaping how tasks are carried out, how firms are organised, and where work can take place. This raises fundamental questions about the persistence of agglomeration economies, i.e. the benefits of people and firms clustering in space. Will AI strengthen the mechanisms of sharing, matching, and learning that underpin urban productivity, or weaken them by making location less relevant? Moreover, how will AI adoption influence the role of cities as engines of growth and development? And how will AI adoption reshape the organization of work across firms and cities? AI and the new geography of work will tackle these questions head-on.

The PhD will begin with developing a theoretical framework that links agglomeration mechanisms with the reorganization of work under AI. Building on this foundation, the candidate will conduct three empirical studies using quantitative methods to test the framework’s implications. The exact project proposal will be developed in the first three months of the project as a cooperation between the PhD-researcher and the supervisors. The project will be supervised by Prof. Sierdjan Koster, Dr Femke Cnossen and Dr Conor O’Driscoll.

Central tasks include:

• Write a PhD thesis consisting of 4 first-authored articles at the level of international scientific journals, an introduction and a discussion. The thesis will be written in English.
• Present at (inter)national conferences as well as to audiences consisting of (regional) administrators, policy advisors, entrepreneurs etc.
• Develop strong communication (written and oral) skills by disseminating findings from the research beyond academia and contributing to public and policy debates on the future of work.
• Engage in teaching activities at the bachelor or master level within the Faculty of Spatial Sciences.

We are looking for a candidate with:

• A (Research) Master’s degree in a field of study relevant to the topic of the project (e.g. geography, economics, labour market studies, demography, sociology) or to be completed in the near future.
• Good writing skills and fluency in English; preferably experience in academic writing.
• Strong conceptual thinking with the desire and capacity to relate theoretical topics to practical challenges and solutions, also in policies.
• Excellent skills in quantitative research methods and data handling.
• Strong motivation, intrinsic interest in the topic of the PhD, good communicative skills in different settings (scientific and in the policy arena), and a proactive and independent work attitude.

• 232 vacation hours per year, based on a 38-hour workweek (1.0 FTE). You can also work more or fewer hours in exchange for more or fewer free hours. For example, with a 40-hour workweek, you save 96 extra free hours, and with a 36-hour workweek, you lose 96 hours.
• End-of-year bonus of 8.3% and 8% holiday allowance.
• Extensive opportunities for personal and professional development.

The Faculty of Spatial Sciences (FRW) is an interdisciplinary faculty that makes a significant impact on societal issues such as climate, broad prosperity, population decline, healthy ageing, and sustainable energy. With approximately 100 staff and over 100 PhD students, we engage daily in up-to-date and relevant teaching and research in the fields of planning, demography, and geography. Through our research programme TRACE (Transformations, Communities, and Environments), we are committed to internationally oriented, interdisciplinary research. With two Bachelor's and seven Master's programmes, the Faculty offers broad educational opportunities to about 1,100 students from around the world. The Faculty of Spatial Sciences plays a crucial role in understanding and shaping the living environment of the future. We work for and with society. Our motto is: we are making places better together. If you would like to learn more, visit rug.nl/frw. 

The PhD researcher will be based in the Department of Economic Geography. The department offers teaching and training at different levels, including the Master’s Programme ‘Economic Geography’ and its specialization ‘Economic Geography: Regional Competitiveness and Trade’. The research agenda of the department focuses on regional aspects of labour market dynamics, well-being and socio-economic disparities, transport and mobility and Real Estate.

Do you have any questions or need more information?

Questions about the content of the job?
Femke Cnossen (Assistant Professor): F.D.Cnossen@rug.nl

Questions about your application process?
Henriette van Ingen (Human Resources Adviser): H.L.van.Ingen@rug.nl