1 PhD position in Migrant Entrepreneurs as Actors of Urban Change and Innovation in Netherlands | Radboud University

As a PhD candidate, you will contribute to the research project ‘Migrant Entrepreneurs as Actors of Urban Change and Innovation’. In today’s globalised world where more people live in urbanised areas, metropolitan regions form the ‘ecosystem’ for a growing number of enterprises run by international migrants. The momentum of this development has been enormous and the strong and increasing presence of migrant businesses in urban areas makes them important actors of urban change and innovation.

In this research project you will study how migrant entrepreneurs take on the role of actors of change and innovation in their urban ecosystems, how the opportunity structures provided by these ecosystems condition these processes and how ethnic strategies facilitate or hamper this process. You will assess their urban innovation potential in terms of the economic activities performed, business models, spatial and urban design-related aspects, and social innovation-related matters. In your empirical research, you will create a large database and perform econometric analyses using location-specific panel data.

Furthermore, you will conduct face-to-face interviews with migrant entrepreneurs and experts in two urban areas in the Netherlands. You will present your findings at international scientific conferences and in leading international peer-reviewed journals. You will engage in collaborations with other academics and practitioners in the field and establish an expert panel of local and national policy makers for the exchange of knowledge.

Requirements

• an interest in understanding how migrant entrepreneurs take on the role of actors of change and innovation in their urban ecosystems and how the opportunity structures provided by these ecosystems condition these processes;
• preferably a Research Master's degree in spatial planning, urban studies, economic geography, industrial sociology, business administration or another relevant field. Students who completed a regular Master's programme in a related discipline and have relevant research experience in the social sciences are also invited to apply;
• you have excellent skills in quantitative research methods and processing large datasets, and you also have experience with qualitative research methods;
• you have knowledge of contemporary urban planning issues, particularly of those related to local business and economic development, entrepreneurship and regional innovation;
• you have experience with academic research in the social sciences and preferably in the fields of urban studies and/or entrepreneurship;
• you are enthusiastic and highly motivated;
• you have excellent writing skills, as evidenced by writing samples, such as a chapter from your Master’s thesis or a (forthcoming or published) article or presented conference paper;
• excellent English language skills are required as you will publish your findings in international peer-reviewed journals. Also, a good command of the Dutch language is preferred to facilitate your fieldwork in the Netherlands;
• practical experience in the field of urban planning is preferred.

Conditions of employment

• you will be appointed conditionally as a PhD candidate for a period of 18 months. Your performance will be evaluated after 12 months. If the evaluation is positive, the contract will be extended for the remainder of the period.
• you will be classified as a PhD student (promovendus) in the Dutch university job-ranking system (UFO).
• the gross starting salary is €2,125 per month based on full-time employment and will increase to €2,717 per month in the fourth year (PhD scale);