Karlstad University / Karlstad Business School

Sapere Aude—dare to be wise—is our motto. Our students and employees develop knowledge and expertise that enrich both people and the world around them. Our academic environment is characterised by curiosity, courage and perseverance. Gender equality, diversity and a democratic approach form the foundation of our organisation. We are located in an active and scenic region and we promote sustainable development in close collaboration with the wider society.
 
Karlstad University has a total of approximately 1,400 employees and 17,300 students spread across two inspiring campus environments in Karlstad and Arvika.
 
More information at: kau.se/en/work-with-us

Description

The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences is accepting applications for a doctoral studentship leading to a PhD in Business Administration with a specialisation in service design and circular business models in the food sector. The doctoral student will be stationed at Karlstad Business School and connected to the multidisciplinary research unit Service Research Center, CTF (www.kau.se/en/ctf). CTF has approximately 70 staff members, including ten professors and more than 20 doctoral students. CTF is a world-renowned research centre focused on a number of areas related to service and value creation through service.

Duties

The proposed project lies within the research area of service design and sustainable innovations from a systems perspective. Research will be connected to the food sector with the aim of making the Swedish food system more sustainable, including a focus on sustainable meals and reduced food waste. Food waste is a prioritised area in ensuring sustainable consumption and production (see goal 12.3 of Agenda 2030). The project will apply principles from systemic research, circular economy and service design, and work will be conducted in close collaboration with different actors of the food sector. The doctoral student will explore and test various new ideas to generate demand for products and services that contribute to a sustainable transformation of the food system, with altered business models, increased value of food and smarter use of resources, including reduced food waste.

A doctoral student is primarily expected to engage in doctoral studies. The doctoral programme consists of 240 higher education credits, including the doctoral thesis, and 120 higher education credits for a degree of licentiate. The doctoral student is expected to work independently and be prepared to contribute to the activities and development of the subject and the department. Teaching and administration may also be included in the duties, but will not constitute more than 20% of full-time.

To contribute to a positive work environment and further the department’s activities, we expect you to be a present and active part of the day-to-day operations and workplace community.

Qualification requirements

To be eligible for doctoral studies, the applicant must meet the general and specific entry requirements (Higher Education Ordinance, Chap. 7, Sect. 35)

To meet the general entry requirements, the applicant must have been awarded a second-cycle qualification, satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second-cycle, or acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad (Higher Education Ordinance 7, Sect. 39).

To meet the specific entry requirements for doctoral studies in Business Administration, the applicant must have satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 120 credits shall be in Business Administration. The studies at Master’s level shall comprise at least 30 credits in Business Administration, of which 15 credits shall consist of an independent project.

The requirements of studies and independent projects in Business Administration can be replaced with studies in an equivalent main field of study. In the assessment, considerable weight will be given to the applicant’s independent projects.

Admission and assessment criteria

To be eligible for doctoral studies, the applicant must be considered to have the ability required to benefit from the programme (Higher Education Ordinance, Chap. 7, Sect. 35). Admission is based on individual assessment.

The assessment will focus on the applicant’s performance in previous studies, the quality of independent projects completed during these studies, cooperation skills, language skills, and whether the applicant intends to be a present and active part of the research environment.

The applicant must have good command of Swedish since data collection will include interviews and surveys conducted in Swedish. Applicants must also have a good command of English, especially in writing, since the doctoral thesis and reports that will be produced as part of the research projects will be written in English. Experience of research work of relevance to the position is a valuable qualification. We also consider experience of collecting data through interviews and surveys a valuable qualification.

Terms

Upon admission to doctoral studies, the person will be offered the appointment of doctoral student (Higher Education Ordinance, Chap. 5, Sect. 3). The position comprises four years of full-time studies, or five years at a study rate of 80% with 20% teaching or other departmental duties. The position is fixed-term — one year initially, followed by possible extensions by a maximum of two years at a time. Start date by agreement.

The salary for the doctoral studentship corresponds to the standard level of salary for doctoral students at Karlstad University.

Further information

Karlstad University places great value on the enriching presence of diverse backgrounds and gender balance in the organisation. We welcome applicants with different cultural backgrounds, gender identities, functional abilities, and life experiences.

Application

Submit the application via the University’s web-based recruitment tool, Varbi. Applicants are responsible for submitting a complete application in accordance with the advertisement and for ensuring that the documentation allows for objective and qualitative assessments. A complete application should be submitted by the application deadline. An incomplete application may jeopardise a fair assessment of qualifications. Include two references, such as a teacher, supervisor, or previous or current manager.

The application should include:

  • a cover letter where the applicant details the reasons behind their interest in the position,
  • a list of qualifications (CV),
  • degree certificate with a complete transcript of the courses included, or a certified list of completed courses with grades and dates,
  • copy of Master’s thesis or equivalent,
  • where applicable, copies of publications or certificates for other qualifications,
  • any letters of recommendation,

Applicants with qualifications from abroad

If you have qualifications from a university outside Sweden or if they have not been recognised by a Swedish authority before, it is important that you attach degree certificates and official transcripts to facilitate the recognition of foreign qualifications.

Provide a contact for the degree-awarding institution (phone number or email) who can verify your qualifications.

Attach all the documents and publications you wish to be considered to the electronic application (do not just provide links). Name each uploaded document to clearly indicate its content. Documents that cannot be submitted electronically should be sent to the following address:

Karlstads universitet
HR-avdelningen
Att: Cecilia Bladh
651 88 KARLSTAD

State the ref.no: REK 2023/122 

Application deadline: 9 June 2023

We look forward to your application!

Karlstad University has chosen advertising channels for this recruitment and firmly declines any contact with advertising or recruitment agencies.

Type of employment Temporary position
Contract type Full time
First day of employment By agreement
Salary According to local collective agreement
Number of positions 1
Full-time equivalent 100 %
City Karlstad
County Värmlands län
Country Sweden
Reference number REK2023/122
Contact
  • Marie-Therese Christiansson, prefekt , +4654-7002027
  • Jakob Trischler, tilltänkt huvudhandledare, +4654-7001875
  • Helén Williams, tilltänkt bitr. handledare, +4654-7001850
  • Carolina Camén, studierektor forskarutbildningen, +46547001559
Union representative
  • Thomas Bragefors, SACO, 054-7001714
  • Denita Gustavsson, OFR, 054-7001434
Published 12.May.2023
Last application date 09.Jun.2023 11:59 PM CEST

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