Postdoctoral Researcher (Karelia, Karelianness, and Finnish-Russian border and border area)

Organisation/Company

Itä-Suomen yliopisto

Department

The Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies, Karelian Institute

Researcher Profile

Recognised Researcher (R2)

Application Deadline

30 Apr 2026 - 21:59 (UTC)

Country

Finland

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by a EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

The Karelian Institute of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies is inviting applications for a Postdoctoral Researcher position on the Joensuu Campus. The position will begin on 1 June 2026. Read more below and submit your application no later than 30 April 2026.

Position and salary

The Karelian Institute of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies is filling one Postdoctoral Researcher position (Karelia, Karelianness and the Finnish-Russian border and border area). The position is linked to the activities of the university’s Cultural Encounters, Mobilities and Borders (BOMOCULT ) Research Community and the VERA Centre for Russian and Border Studies of the University of Eastern Finland.

The main duty of the Postdoctoral Researcher is to conduct research in accordance with their research proposal. In addition, the Postdoctoral Researcher is expected to participate in the preparation of research projects in their field and in the supervision of academic theses.

In accordance with the Onnenmäki Foundation’s endowment, the selected candidates’ research will focus on Karelia, Karelianness, or the Finnish-Russian border and border area. The successful candidate may investigate different aspects of social, economic, regional, political or cultural processes, or processes of border-making and border-transcending, in this geographic location.

The position is filled for a two-year term starting on 1 June 2026. The position is filled for a fixed term due to it pertaining to a specific funding programme with the option for a two-year extension.

The salary of the position is based on the salary system for the teaching and research staff of Finnish universities. The salary consists of a job-related salary element and a personal salary element. In these positions, the job-related salary element is based on level 5 of the job requirement level chart (EUR 3,366.55), and the personal salary element is 6–50% of the job-related salary element. Depending on the personal salary element, the salary will be approximately EUR 3,700-4,200/month at the beginning of the employment relationship.

A trial period is applied to new members of the university’s staff.

Requirements and advantages

 Requirements

• The person to be appointed to the Postdoctoral Researcher position is required to hold a suitable doctoral degree, which may not have been completed more than five years ago at the time of accepting the position. In this context, the 5-year limit refers to a net period of time, which does not include maternity leaves, parental leaves, military service, etc. If the applicant pleads to the above-mentioned reasons, they need to explain them in the application. 

• The Postdoctoral Researcher is expected to have language skills that support the field’s research. A good command of the English language is required.

Considered as an advantage 

• Experience in international research cooperation and international researcher mobility will be regarded as merits.

Evaluation

The applicant is expected to present a concise (max. 3 pages) research proposal and a brief development plan which clarifies the applicant’s contributions to the development of the Karelian Institute, the VERA Centre and/or the BOMOCULT Research Community in terms of network building, project activities and societal impact.

The applications meeting all the eligibility requirements will be sent for evaluation. Applications will be evaluated according to the excellence of a) the research proposal, b) earlier academic performance, c) its impact and d) international orientation.

What we can offer you 

• Cutting-edge research, research training and career development for postdoctoral researchers in fields associated with Karelia, Karelianness, and the Finnish-Russian border and border area.
• An inspiring international and creative, participatory and engaging research environment in a well-established research institute and university community.
• The opportunity for international collaboration as part of a research team.
• A wide range of support services at UEF.
• Work that matters and a workplace that promotes work-life balance.
• The university’s occupational health insurance. The Finnish government also provides benefits to residents and their families, for example, access to the national healthcare system and high-quality, affordable childcare and school services.
• Staff benefits of the University of Eastern Finland, including comprehensive occupational health care, versatile staff training opportunities, affordable campus restaurant lunches and Sykettä sports services.

Please read more in the Work at UEF section on our website . 

Enjoy your life in Finland! Known for its cleanliness, welfare know-how, modern technology and superb education system, Finland is an exotic and safe country to work in. Please visit the Life in Finland section on our website  to learn more.    

How to apply 

Submit your application by using our electronic application form no later than 30 April 2026 by 24:00 (midnight) Finnish time (UTC+3). The application is required to contain the following appendices:

• a CV (Template for CV, TENK web page )
• a list of publications (Research Council of Finland web page )
• copies of the academic degree certificates/diplomas, and copies of certificates/diplomas relating to your language proficiency, if not indicated in the academic degree certificates/diplomas.
• a concise summary of the applicant’s scientific achievements and research activities, including research collaboration (max. 1 page).
• a research proposalwritten in Finnish or in English (max. 3 pages)
• a development plan (max. 1 page) explaining how the applicant intends to promote project activities, network building and societal impact of the BOMOCULT Research Community   and the VERA Centre for Russian and Border Studies .

The applicant may also include other documents to demonstrate their merits for the position (e.g., a statement from the opponent, letters of recommendation, etc.).

The CV, list of publications and research proposal can be submitted in Finnish or in English.

If your degree certificate is not in English, Finnish, or Swedish, you must provide official English translations of your degree certificate documents. All translations must be issued by the awarding educational institution or an authorised translator. Each page of the official translation must bear the translator's stamp and/or signature. Official translations must be accurate translations of the original documents. Translations made by the applicants themselves will not be accepted.

Questions?

For more information on the position, please contact the Head of the Karelian Institute Petri Kahila

(petri.kahila@uef.fi , +358 40 411 8445) or Vice Head of the Karelian Institute Joni Virkkunen (joni.virkkunen@uef.fi , +358 50 442 4469).

For further information relating to the application procedure, please contact HR Specialist Airi

Leppänen, airi.leppanen@uef.fi .

Tutkijatohtorin tehtävä

Haemme tutkijatohtoria Itä-Suomen yliopiston Joensuun kampukselle, Karjalan tutkimuslaitokselle erityisalana Karjala, karjalaisuus, Suomen ja Venäjän raja tai raja-alue. Tehtävä sijoittuu yhteiskuntatieteiden ja kauppatieteiden tiedekuntaan ja alkaa 1.6.2026. Tehtävä täytetään kahden vuoden määräajaksi ja sen tehtäväkohtainen palkanosa on vaativuustasoluokittelussa tasolla 5. Lisäksi maksetaan henkilökohtaiseen suoriutumiseen perustuvaa palkanosaa, joka on 6–50 % tehtäväkohtaisesta palkanosasta. Tehtävissä edellytetään erinomaista englannin kielen taitoa.

Lue tarkemmat tiedot tehtävistä ja hakuohjeet yllä olevasta englanninkielisestä ilmoituksesta. Hakemuksen voi jättää suomeksi tai englanniksi. Hakuaika tehtävään päättyy 30.4.2026 klo 24.00. 

Website

https://uef.varbi.com/en/what:job/jobID:919261/type:job/where:39/apply:1

Research Field

Agricultural sciences » Other

Education Level

PhD or equivalent

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Itä-Suomen yliopisto

Country

Finland

City

Joensuu

Geofield

City

Joensuu

Website

https://www.uef.fi/en

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