PhD position “Climate Finance: Moral Responsibilities of Financial Institutions for Decarbonization”

PhD position “Climate Finance: Moral Responsibilities of Financial Institutions for Decarbonization”

Job description

Since its foundation in 1614, the University of Groningen has enjoyed an international reputation as a dynamic and innovative center of higher education offering high-quality teaching and research. Belonging to the best research universities of Europe and joining forces with prestigious partner universities and networks, the University of Groningen is truly an international place of knowledge.

Faculty of Economics and Business
The Faculty of Economics and Business offers an inspiring study and working environment for students and employees. International accreditation enables the Faculty to assess performance against the highest international standards. It also creates an exciting environment of continuous improvement. FEB's programmes, academic staff and research do well on various excellence ranking lists.

FEBRI, the graduate school and research institute of the Faculty of Economics and Business has available: PhD position “Climate Finance: Moral Responsibilities of Financial Institutions for Decarbonization”.

Project description
The financial sector plays a crucial role in directing investments to sustainable causes. So far, sustainable investment has been largely a voluntary affair. The project explores reasons for assigning to financial institutions specifically moral obligations to invest sustainably. The project is timely as countries in the EU and elsewhere are increasingly addressing risks of greenwashing in finance as well as because of increased pressure from climate litigation advocates (e.g. Milieudefensie, Friends of the Earth). It innovates by conceptualising climate finance obligations as part of the moral relation between financial institutions and society. In analysing the various dimensions of this relation, the project will draw on resources from ethics, business and human rights, collective epistemology, phenomenology, and social ontology. As such, it utilises core research expertise at FEB. Besides its academic impact, it will inform policy-making, regulation and the public debate.

Organisation
The PhD position is embedded in the research programme of Economics, Econometrics & Finance of FEB’s Research Institute. The project will be supervised by dr. J.A.M. de Grefte, prof. dr. B.P. de Bruin and prof. dr. R.A.J. Mees

Qualifications

The ideal candidate is ambitious, highly motivated and wishes to make a career in research. He or she has a thorough training in research skills, speaks and writes English fluently and has obtained excellent results in the master phase.
The PhD candidate should have a background (MSc, preferably research master) in normative philosophy (ethics and/or epistemology). Desired expertise includes phenomenology, collective epistemology, social ontology and sustainability research.

Conditions of employment

The full-time appointment is temporary for a period of four years, under the condition of a positive assessment at the end of the first year. The gross monthly salary is € 2,901, which increases yearly to a maximum of € 3,707. Based on the gross salary you will receive an additional 8% holiday allowance each year in May, and an additional 8.3 % end of year bonus in December. PhD candidates contribute 20% of their time to teaching in years 2-4.

Starting date: Preferably per September 1, 2025

An assessment may be part of the procedure, consisting of psychological tests and an interview.

The University of Groningen strives to be a university in which students and staff are respected and feel at home, regardless of differences in background, experiences, perspectives, and identities. We believe that working on our core values of inclusion and equality are a joint responsibility and we are constructively working on creating a socially safe environment. Diversity among students and staff members enriches academic debate and contributes to the quality of our teaching and research. We therefore invite applicants from underrepresented groups in particular to apply.

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