Doctoral Studies in Analytical Sociology

I chose to pursue a doctoral degree because I felt that there is so much more to learn. It gives me the freedom to nourish that curiosity while being guided through studying things I really enjoy.

I was lucky enough to take my Master’s degree at IAS, and I was intrigued by the creative environment and academic rigour I experienced. IAS brings together a wide set of great researchers who work across disciplines on understanding why people do what they do and the implications for society.

At IAS, we have a great set of opportunities available for young scholars who are interested in an academic career. We have regular milestone seminars that allow us to receive feedback from all scholars at IAS. I personally really enjoy the exposure to all the guests we have at the institute, who present their research in one of the seminar series or stay on for some time as research fellows.

Coming from a working-class background, it was never a given for me to pursue an academic career, but from early on I wanted to understand and critically reflect on the world around me. While studying sociology, I realised that an academic career is the ideal way to fulfil that wish. A PhD will give me the opportunity to become an expert in my field by learning directly from leading researchers.

Central for my decision to come to IAS was its incredible openness towards computational approaches. The institute doesn’t shy away from the benefits of large-scale computational methods, and critically engages with state-of-the-art methods to study society. Additionally, the conditions for pursuing a PhD in Sweden are among the best in the world, enabling me to fully concentrate on my studies and benefit from the rich learning environment.

From day one, I felt welcome and supported by IAS. The work culture is very cooperative and informed by great care towards the graduate students. We are encouraged to discuss our work in the group, and have regular seminars in which we receive direct feedback about our work. I have never felt lost in my research for a single day.

I decided to pursue doctoral studies because I like learning and enjoy exploring how our world works. I also believe that acquiring a doctoral degree opens possibilities to contribute to solve problems that our societies are facing.

IAS is a great space for learning that also allows opportunities to gain experience in teaching. I am going to study complex social phenomena and apply the knowledge I gain to problems like climate change, biodiversity loss, and the feedbacks between the biosphere and societies.

PhD students at IAS are enthusiastic and eager to share and discuss their ideas both formally and informally. At the PhD meetings, we share our work and doubts, and support each other. Likewise, programme directors have given us both freedom and support to co-design the PhD school. An example of this are the professionalisation seminars that we hold with faculty, where we discuss the often-untold aspects of academic life, such as grants, job opportunities, and career trade-offs.