Apply for a doctoral position on the topic of "Language, identity and spatial-policy choices in the state gymnasia in Russian-dominant settings"

The Institute of Estonian and General Linguistics of University of Tartu has announced a doctoral position to research efforts to develop quality education in Estonian-Russian state high schools and the experiences of those participating in this new initiative.

The PhD student’s research is part of a larger research project (PRG 1719), which focuses on Narva state gymnasiums that are planned to be established with the aim to raise gymnasium education to a new level in a Russian-dominant environment. The aim of the project is to find out how the parties involved with the state gymnasia (e.g., Ministry of Education and Research, local government, school principals, teachers, students) imagine and interpret quality education.

The project has several goals: to empirically and holistically study the educational and school experience of the students (class of 2026), to interpret the results, to propose a theory, and to provide educational policy makers with operational feedback on the functioning of public high schools.

The doctoral thesis is supervised by the project leader, Kadri Koreinik, Associate Professor of Sociology of Language at the University of Tartu, and Kara D. Brown, Associate Professor at the University of South Carolina and Visiting Professor of Educational Anthropology at the University of Tartu.

Come and be a part of exciting research that offers you:

valuable experience in interdisciplinary research;
the opportunity to work in a research group together with experienced researchers and to learn directly from them about the nature and methods of research;
the opportunity to develop your international network by participating in international professional networking and academic conferences;
comprehensive and supportive guidance by competent supervisors;
a junior research fellow contract and salary starting from 1,720 euros gross monthly salary;
work at one of the most respected employers in Estonia, which promotes the personal development of its employees by offering training opportunities and other benefits.

We welcome you to apply if you have

profound interest and some knowledge in the processes of language-in-education policy and you are passionate accessibility issues and improving Estonian education system;
Master's degree in linguistics, education studies or social sciences or equivalent qualification;
very good command of Estonian, English and Russian;
ability to manage oneself and plan time and commit to the doctoral project over the next four years;
possibility for extended stay field work in Narva.

Doctoral studies are planned to start in the fall semester of 2023/2024 academic year.

Candidates must submit an application with other requested documents. See further information on the programme website of Humanities. For further information about the research topic please contact the Institute of Estonian and General Linguistics or Kadri Koreinik (kadri.koreinik@ut.ee). Applicants will be informed of their interview time by the respective faculty.