Doctoral Studentship in Design with a Specialisation in Fashion Design

At the Faculty of Textiles, Engineering and Business, we conduct research and education in business administration, industrial engineering and management, resource recovery, and building technology, as well as within the textile field: design, management, and technology.

The Faculty has five departments: the Department of Business Administration and Textile Management, the Department of Engineering, the Department of Resource Recovery and Building Technology, the Department of Textile Technology, and the Department of Design. There is also a department for the Textiles Labs. The Swedish School of Textiles and the Centre for Sustainable Society Development are other important parts of the Faculty. The Faculty is also the home to two doctoral education programmes: Resource Recovery and Textiles and Fashion.

Design research in the field of Textiles and Fashion involves fine arts-based inquiry, with a strong theoretical and practical focus on deepening the understanding of the interplay between analysis and synthesis in the design process. This serves as a foundation for developing design methodologies, techniques, and programs. The research approach is primarily experimental, focusing on design where the development of methodologies, programs, and techniques is driven by critical, exploratory artistic work.

The Doctoral Studentship Employment is a call within the research profile TexAI – Knowledge in AI-Driven Innovation for Circular Ecosystems in the Textiles and Fashion Industry, funded by the Knowledge Foundation. TexAI is an interdisciplinary research and innovation initiative carried out in collaboration between the research areas of Textiles and Fashion and Business and IT. The primary goal is to implement AI-driven solutions across textile technology, fashion and textile design, textile management, and business-oriented IT, fostering a green transition within the textile and fashion industry. The project is run in close collaboration between academia, business, and industry.

This research area in design seeks to develop, deepen, and critically examine the role of generative and agentic AI in design practice as a tool, mediator, and collaborator within fashion design and activewear. The research aims to explore how AI can change prevailing notions of design as activity and craft through data-driven processes and experiments, thereby opening up new avenues for defining design concepts, methods, and outcomes where AI is considered an integral material in design practice.

In addition to doctoral studies and research within the TexAI profile, the role includes participation in the development of the fine arts research environment in general at the Swedish School of Textiles and the University of Borås.

Doctoral studies that comprise four years of full-time study and lead to a Degree of Doctor. As part of your doctoral studentship, you may perform departmental duties for up to 10% of full-time, distributed over parts of the study period. In such cases, the study period will be extended accordingly. Departmental duties usually include teaching at Bachelor’s and Master’s levels, but research and administration may also be included. Doctoral studies at the Department of Design require on-campus presence at the University of Borås.

Doctoral education at the University of Borås

To meet the general entry requirements for doctoral studies at doctoral (third-cycle) level, a person must have completed a Master’s (second-cycle) degree, or completed course requirements of at least 240 credits, of which at least 60 credits are at the Master’s (second-cycle) level, or in some other way acquired equivalent knowledge in Sweden or abroad.

Specific entry requirements means those who have completed a Master’s (second-cycle) degree in design, art, architecture, or equivalent.   

• A special requirement is also that applicants, in their attached portfolio, demonstrate fine arts expertise in their design area. 
• Knowledge of digital and AI-supported design processes.
• Good knowledge of English, both spoken and written.
• Good interpersonal and initiative-taking skills.
• Ability to work independently and in a structured manner.    

• Previous experience of and/or participation in research projects/experimental experience.

Once you have been admitted to the doctoral programme, you will be awarded a Doctoral Studentship Employment. The initial Doctoral Studentship Employment can be a maximum of one year and can then be extended by up to two years at a time. The total time as a doctoral student employee may amount to a maximum of eight years, but may not exceed the time corresponding to four years of full-time studies at doctoral level. Salary is set in accordance with the university's local agreement for doctoral students.

Type of employment: Fixed-term employment as a doctoral student in accordance with Chapter 5 of the Higher Education Ordinance.
Employment rate: Full-time
Start date: 1 May or as agreed upon.
Position location: Borås, Sweden
Reference number: PA2025/197

Please submit your complete application including registration number and attachments via our recruitment system by 13 March. 

Please note that the selection process will begin only after the application deadline has passed.

How to apply – create an account and check which documents to attach

The University of Borås welcomes applicants from all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives, recognising that this enriches and strengthens our community. The University of Borås strives for even gender distribution among employees and values diversity.

The University of Borås is a governmental authority, which means that you receive particular benefits, generous holiday leave, and a favourable occupational pension.

Benefits for employees

Work at UB

Contact those below if you want to know more:

about the employment, Clemens Thornquist , recruiting manager.

about the research school, Eva Gustafsson , Director of Studies.

about the research group, Delia Dumitrescu , research group leader.

The union representative for Saco-S is Sunil Kumar, who can be reached via the university's switchboard via +46 (0)33-435 40 00. The union representative for OFR/S can be reached via stvidhb@hb.se .

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