Department of Geography
PhD position Geocomputation 80 %
Start of employment 01.06.2025With 28,000 students and 9,000 employees, the University of Zurich (UZH) is the biggest university in Switzerland. As a member of the “League of European Research Universities”, it counts among the leading European universities. UZH offers a culturally diverse and inspiring working environment and promotes international collaboration in research.
The Geocomputation Unit at the Department of Geography of the University of Zurich invites applications for a PhD position. The appointment will be for up to four years, with an initial appointment for three years and a one year extension.
Your responsibilities
The appointee will develop an index of multiple deprivation for Canton Zurich, a flagship project of the Public Data Lab. Spatially explicit indices of multiple deprivation correlate with multiple societal outcomes and allow policy makers to plan effective policies and interventions. The project will involve co-creation of inputs for the indicator, development of a privacy preserving indicator at fine spatial granularities, and development of case studies showing the indicator's potential.
The Public Data Lab is an interdisciplinary project with a focus on developing and debating indicators capturing social, environmental and economic change in Canton Zurich. The project is a collaboration between the University of Zurich, the Zurich University of the Arts, the Statistical Office of Canton Zurich, and Opendata.ch and is funded by the Digitalisation Initiative of the Zurich Higher Education Institutions (DIZH).
The Public Data Lab is an interdisciplinary project with a focus on developing and debating indicators capturing social, environmental and economic change in Canton Zurich. The project is a collaboration between the University of Zurich, the Zurich University of the Arts, the Statistical Office of Canton Zurich, and Opendata.ch and is funded by the Digitalisation Initiative of the Zurich Higher Education Institutions (DIZH).
- You will lead the development of a spatially-explicit index of multiple deprivation as the core of your PhD research project
- You will work and collaborate within the Public Data Lab
- You will present and publish your results at appropriate venues
- You will contribute to teaching and services in the Geocomputation Unit
- You will participate in the Graduate School in Geography and Earth System Science, and complete the associated requirements
Your profile
We are looking for an early career researcher, who has recently completed a Masters in Geography or Geography Information Science, who is excited by the possibility of developing a theoretically grounded, societally relevant approach, which will broaden access to geographic information and allow decision makers to better account for deprivation in policy and planning.
Your benefits
We will provide a stimulating and supportive research environment, with ample opportunities for collaboration. Zurich and its surroundings provide an excellent living environment, with a broad range of cultural activities and easy access to the countryside and mountains.
- You have completed, or will shortly have completed, a Master's degree in a relevant field
- You can demonstrate good GIS skills and understand the importance of creating reproducible processing chains
- You are interested in issues related to deprivation and its modelling
- You have good organisational and communication skills
- You speak and write German and English fluently
- You value diversity and inclusion in the workplace
Your benefits
- Your PhD will be part of a structured programme in the Graduate School of Geography and Earth System Science
- 70% protected time for your research
- Pay according to the regulations of the University of Zurich for PhD Candidates (at the standard employment level for doctoral students of 80%)
- Holiday entitlement of 25 days plus public holidays per year
- Regular supervision and mentoring
- UZH offers attractive working conditions and opportunities for further education
We will provide a stimulating and supportive research environment, with ample opportunities for collaboration. Zurich and its surroundings provide an excellent living environment, with a broad range of cultural activities and easy access to the countryside and mountains.
Information on your application
To find out more about the research undertaken at the Geocomputation Unit, visit our web page. More general information about teaching and research in the Department of Geography is available here.To apply, please upload the following documents (as a single PDF) in either German or English
1) A motivation letter, explaining why you want to apply for this position, and demonstrating how you fulfil the criteria listed above
2) A CV and the contact details for three referees
3) Degree transcripts
4) Your Master's thesis, including a 500 word summary of your thesis setting out your scientific motivation, what you did, results and the implications of your work
The initial deadline for applications is 10th April 2025. Review of applications will commence thereafter and will continue until the position is filled.
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Prof. Dr. Ross Purves
Working at UZH
The University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest university, offers a range of attractive positions in various subject areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and currently 12 professional apprenticeship streams the University offers an inspiring working environment on cutting-edge research and top-class education. Put your talent and skills to work with us. Find out more about UZH as an employer!
More → https://www.uzh.ch/cmsssl/en/explore/work.html
The University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest university, offers a range of attractive positions in various subject areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and currently 12 professional apprenticeship streams the University offers an inspiring working environment on cutting-edge research and top-class education. Put your talent and skills to work with us. Find out more about UZH as an employer!
More → https://www.uzh.ch/cmsssl/en/explore/work.html
Working at UZH
The University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest university, offers a range of attractive positions in various subject areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and currently 12 professional apprenticeship streams the University offers an inspiring working environment on cutting-edge research and top-class education. Put your talent and skills to work with us. Find out more about UZH as an employer!
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