Doctoral Researcher in the Anthropology of Humanitarianism

Doctoral Researcher in the Anthropology of Humanitarianism

The Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Helsinki invites applications for the position of Doctoral Researcher in the Anthropology of Humanitarianism for a fixed‑term period of four years, starting on 20 November 2026.

Project Overview

The New Humanitarian Infrastructures at the End of Aid project, funded by the Research Council of Finland and led by Dr. Stefan Millar, examines transformations in humanitarian systems amid the global withdrawal of international aid. The project focuses on humanitarian contexts in Kenya and transnational diaspora networks in Canada, and it explores four key themes:

• State infrastructures – the expanding role of the state in humanitarian contexts and how state‑led initiatives reshape humanitarianism.
• Refugee‑led infrastructures – how refugees generate alternatives to a top‑down humanitarian system through community‑based o...