One doctoral studentship in Environmental Science as part of MISTRA CLEAN - Research Programme on Capture, Corruption, and Crime in Environmental Governance

Huddinge, Sweden

Södertörn University is a higher education institution in Stockholm that conducts education, research and collaboration with the surrounding community for sustainable societal development. Education and research are conducted in the humanities, social sciences, technology and natural sciences. The university also provides police and teacher education programmes with intercultural profiles. A significant amount of our research is multidisciplinary and specialises in the Baltic Sea region and Eastern Europe. At Södertörn University we combine subjects, perspectives, people and experiences, searching for surprising syntheses, challenges and development.

Södertörn University welcomes doctoral proposals in Environmental Science, to be conducted within the research project: “MISTRA CLEAN - Research Programme on Capture, Corruption, and Crime in Environmental Governance”.

Environmental Science at Södertörn University is a multidisciplinary field that integrates social and natural sciences for the study of environmental and sustainability topics, using varied perspectives. Research seeks to enhance the understanding of complex interactions between societies and environments within and across the global North and South, as well as to advance knowledge about sustainable practices and the mitigation of environmental problems. Environmental Science belongs to the research education area Environmental Studies at Södertörn University. More information is available here.

DESCRIPTION

This doctoral studentship is within the research specialization of environmental crime, a subfield within environmental science that examines illegal or illicit activities that harm the environment, the regulatory and institutional systems designed to prevent such harm, and the social, economic and political conditions that enable these activities to occur.

The successful applicant will write the thesis as part of the research programme MISTRA CLEAN. The programme addresses two major societal issues: institutional failures - such as corruption, policy capture, and crime - and environmental problems, as well as the linkages between these processes. Its overarching aim is to generate both theoretical and empirical insights into these phenomena.

Specifically, the doctoral project will explore how environmental crime and corruption emerge, persist and intersect with organised crime and governance structures. The focus is on the Swedish context, where municipal and regional levels play a central role in oversight and procurement. Empirical areas include illegal waste management, pollution offences, bribery and procurement fraud, practices that distort competition, weaken enforcement and erode democratic and sustainable systems. The doctoral project will be part of the wider research environment of the research programme. The position involves applying register-based research and network analysis to understand the patterns, drivers and institutional vulnerabilities that shape environmental crime and corruption.

For complete information, see link below:

https://www.sh.se/ledigajobb?rmpage=job&rmjob=9635&rmlang=SE

The application deadline is 28 April 2026 at 23:59.

FURTHER INFORMATION

For more information, see this website under FAQ. Please use Södertörn University´s web-based recruitment system “ReachMee”. Click on the link "ansök" (apply) at the bottom of the announcement.

General Syllabus for third-cycle programmes in Environmental Science: English version

Information about admission regulations including selection criteria, and third-cycle education at Södertörn University: English version

Amir Rostami, Principal Investigator, School of Policing, amir.rostami@sh.se

Elinor Andrén, Director of Doctoral Studies in Environmental Science, elinor.andren@sh.se

Marie Granroth, Human Resources Officer, School of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, marie.granroth@sh.se

Welcome with your application! Publications referred to must be attached to the application. An application that is not complete or arrives at Södertörn University after the closing date may be rejected.