Postdoctoral researcher in sustainability of cooperatives

Ruralia Institute at the University of Helsinki invites applications for a postdoctoral researcher position for a contract starting at the earliest October 2026 and ending in December 2029. The appointed person will be joining the Sustainability and Community Enterprises group led by Academy Research Fellow Taneli Vaskelainen.

The successful candidate will work in the SUSTRACOOP project (Understanding the role of cooperatives in sustainability transitions), funded by the Research Council of Finland. Cooperatives are a key part of the global economy employing some 10 % of the world’s working population and have been identified as focal vehicles of sustainability transitions by researchers and societal stakeholders alike. However, we have limited understanding of cooperative sustainability impact because transition studies have focused on small organisations in emerging sectors and management studies have all but neglected the organisational form. SUSTRACOOP conceptualises ...