PhD position (100%, 4 yrs.) in Environmental/Agricultural History (Turkey)
The Europainstitut / Institute for European Global Studies at the University of Basel, Switzerland, invites applications for a fully-funded, four-year (1 plus 3) PhD position in the Swiss National Research Foundation project “Feeding the Earth: Synthetic Fertilizers and the Remaking of Agriculture in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries”. The position is to be filled as of June 1st, 2026.
The project “Feeding the Earth” is a collaboration between the University of Basel, the University of Birmingham, and the Helmut Schmidt University in Hamburg. It enquires into the spread of synthetic fertilizers and the ways in which it transformed agriculture in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The use of synthetic fertilizers exploded over the twentieth century, boosting yields while fostering dependencies, land concentration, soil degradation, and water pollution. Despite their lack of sustainability and resistance from some farmers, synthetic fertilizers continue to dominate agriculture worldwide. As climate change, soil loss, and pollution compel a rethinking of food systems, this research project asks how societies in the past switched between different fertilizing regimes and adapted to changing conditions of agricultural production. The project investigates the uneven transition from traditional to synthetic fertilizers in northern Europe, South Africa, Turkey, and Morocco, addressing the largely understudied global history of fertilizer adoption.
The University of Basel will execute two of these case studies. The South Africa case study will be based at the Department of History (https://dg.philhist.unibas.ch/de/), the Turkey case study at the Europainstitut/Institute for European Global Studies (https://europa.unibas.ch/en/). Hereby we invite applications for the PhD position to work on the Turkey case study. The call for applications for the doctoral position on the case study on South Africa will be published separately.
Your position
As a doctoral candidate you will work on the case study on Turkey entitled “Agents of trust: The spread of fertilizers in Turkey 1930s-1960s”. This sub-project asks how the use of chemical fertilizers emerged as a strategic issue in twentieth century Turkey, and how this is related to the question of building up trust between the farming population, international experts and the state. It inquires into the roles played by foreign (mostly German) fertilizer producers and farmer communities (1920s and 1930s), the nationalization of chemical fertilizers and the strategic interests attached to them by different interest groups, as well as the reappropriation of soil knowledge by farmers' associations in the late 1960s.You will be expected to:
- conduct independent archival research and oral history research on and in the geographical area of your work package
- write and complete your dissertation within the funding period
- publish one peer-reviewed article or book chapter and present your research findings at international conferences
- actively participate in advancing the project's overall research goals, collaborate closely with the whole team
- help with administration tasks, conference organization, communication tasks, webpage content management.
Your profile
As a doctoral candidate, you are required to hold an MA degree (or equivalent) in History or a related discipline. You are fluent in English, our team's working language. Furthermore, you have a good knowledge of Turkish, preferably also a reading competence of late Ottoman Turkish, German and French.Experiences in archival research and a robust understanding of Turkish history are essential. Furthermore, you are collegial and open-minded, work well independently and have a talent for organization. Proficiency in MS Office is required. Finally, you are flexible to travel for the project, and you are able to take residence in Basel during your entire contract period.
We offer you
- attractive employment conditions in an intellectually stimulating research environment as a part of an international project team: you will pursue your dissertation project within a collaborative framework, affiliated as a member of the Basel Graduate School of History
- a thorough introduction process and ongoing support by peers
- the position is fully funded for a duration of four years (1 plus 3 years). The conditions of employment follow the regulations of the University of Basel and of the Swiss National Science Foundation.
We are looking forward to receiving your application by December 8th, 2025. Applications must be submitted exclusively via the University of Basel job portal.
Applications need to include a letter of motivation, a curriculum vitae, a list of publications, diplomas / MA certificates, a scientific writing sample (max. 10 pages) and two referees (name and contact). The University of Basel is committed to increasing the number of women in its scientific personnel and encourages well-qualified women researchers to apply.
It is anticipated that interviews will be held via videocall on 8/9 January 2026.
If you have any questions about the position, please do not hesitate to contact Prof. Dr. Corey Ross: corey.ross@unibas.ch or Prof. Dr. Heinrich Hartmann: heinrich.hartmann@hsu-hh.de.
For further information on the Department of History, University of Basel: https://dg.philhist.unibas.ch/de/. For further information on the Europainstitut / Institute for European Global Studies, University of Basel: https://europa.unibas.ch/en/
Further job vacancies in this project:
see University of Basel job portal: https://www.unibas.ch/en/Working-at-the-University-of-Basel/Current-Vacancies.html
Position at the University of Birmingham: https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/spreading-fertilizer-around-the-phosphatvilles-chemical-fertilizer-and-moroccan-agriculture-1920s-1970s/?p190596
