Doctoral position in Library and Information Science

Welcome to Linnaeus University! Here you'll meet 2 200 staff members and 40 000 students, all united in following the vision to set knowledge in motion for a sustainable societal development. With us, research and education are conducted with an eye towards the future. Our proximity to the business world, both locally and globally, gives us a wide reach and the ability to create change that makes an impact. All that's needed is a place where ideas have the space to meet and grow. That's what we've created – and you are invited.

Change starts here!

The Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Linnaeus University is advertising a doctoral studentship in Library and Information Science – a fully funded and salaried position, with full employee benefits. The position is based at the Department of Cultural Sciences and is affiliated with the national research programme Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Program – Humanity and Society (WASP-HS). It is also part of the research cluster AI Futures of Culture and Memory , led by Uppsala University, Chalmers University of Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Linnaeus University and Umeå University. 

The vision of WASP-HS is to develop interdisciplinary knowledge about AI and autonomous systems and their impact on human and societal development in the context of the humanities and social sciences. WASP-HS enables pioneering research, expertise and skills development in the humanities and social sciences. As part of WASP-HS, AI Futures of Culture and Memory aims to explore the transformative impact of AI on human culture and collective memory, and to promote the arts, humanities and social sciences by integrating diverse perspectives to create human-centred, inclusive and sustainable AI systems. The research addresses societal challenges related to sustainability, ethics and inclusion, diversity and transparency, and public trust. 

The Faculty of Arts and Humanities, one of Linnaeus University’s five faculties, is a dynamic, flexible, and international knowledge environment that encompasses both scholarly and artistic activities across a wide range of subjects. We create integrated academic environments where the interaction between teaching, research, and external engagement drives quality at the university and in society at large. 

Subject area of the position: Library and Information Science

Location until further notice: Växjö. Linnaeus University has campuses in both Växjö and Kalmar. Doctoral students are expected to take part in departmental or faculty-wide activities at both locations.

Contract type and hours: The position is a fixed-term appointment in accordance with Chapter 5, Section 7 of the Swedish Higher Education Ordinance. Working hours are full time.

Start date: 1 October, or as agreed. The position is to start no later than 1 January 2026. 

The doctoral position is part of the WASP-HS research cluster AI Futures of Culture and Memory. The successful candidate is expected to carry out a thesis project in Library and Information Science, focusing on the transformative significance of AI for the production, communication, preservation and interpretation of collective memory and cultural practices.

The research should be grounded in the humanities and take an approach that deepens our understanding of human–AI co-creation, including its creative, ethical, and practical dimensions. 

The position includes doctoral studies in Library and Information Science corresponding to a maximum of four years of full-time study and leading to a PhD. For more information about doctoral education at Linnaeus University, please visit the university website . See also the general syllabus for doctoral education in the cultural sciences . 

In addition to thesis work, the doctoral student is expected to participate in seminars and other research-related activities at the Department of Cultural Sciences, as well as in other research environments relevant to the project. 

The Higher Education Ordinance states that anyone who is employed as a doctoral student should primarily devote themselves to their own studies. However, to a limited extent, they may also engage in teching, research and administrative duties. Such duties may not exceed 20% of full-time hours before the doctoral degree is completed. 

The successful candidate is expected to spend the majority of their working hours at Linnaeus University’s Växjö campus, except during periods when the research project requires them to be elsewhere (for example, during fieldwork). To facilitate participation in our research environments, international applicants are expected to acquire basic Swedish and to participate in the Swedish language courses offered by the university for international staff.

According to the Swedish Higher Education Ordinance (Chapter 7, Section 35), an applicant admitted to doctoral studies must:

• meet both the general entry requirements and the specific entry requirements set by the higher education institution
• be deemed to have the ability to complete the programme successfully. 

General entry requirements are met by applicants who:

• have completed a one- or two-year master’s degree
• have completed course requirements totalling at least 240 credits, of which at least 60 credits are at master’s level, or
• have acquired essentially equivalent knowledge in some other way, in Sweden or abroad.

Specific entry requirements for admission to doctoral studies in subjects within the cultural sciences are:

• at least 120 higher education credits in Library and Information Science, Digital Humanities, or related subjects, or equivalent knowledge
• at least 30 higher education credits at second-cycle level, including an independent project of at least 15 credits
• good proficiency in English 

All eligibility requirements must be met no later than the application deadline.

Application

Applications must be written in Swedish or English and should include the following:

Assessment of the applicant’s suitability for doctoral studies is based on a holistic evaluation that takes the following into account:

Fredrik Hanell, head of department, fredrik.hanell@lnu.se; +46 (0)470–708589
Koraljka Golub, research coordinator koraljka.golub@lnu.se; +46 (0)470-708909    Maria Furbring, HR-partner, maria.furbring@lnu.se; +46 (0) 480 446751

Application deadline: 15 August, 2025

Linnaeus University has the ambition to utilize the qualities that an even gender distribution and diversity brings to the organization.

Please apply by clicking on the Apply button at the bottom of the ad. Applicants are requested to the application resolving CV, cover letter , a copy of a relevant essay , grades and certificates and other relevant documents. The applicant also requested to submit with their application a proposed research plan within the current area of research. All documents must be attached to digital in the application. The application and other documents shall be marked with the reference number. All documents cited must be received by the University no later than 23.59 (Local time in Sweden) on the closing day.

Linnaeus University is an employer that meets the requirements of the European Charter for Researchers and follows the recruitment guidelines. Therefore, the university has received the HR Excellence in Research award.

Please note that a valid identification must be presented at the time of the interview.

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