Postdoctoral Fellow in Urban Studies

Laboratory for Urban Studies in St. Petersburg, Russia, invites applications for postdoctoral research positions in the field of urban studies with focus on the urban sustainable development.

Requirements

The general requirements for the postdoctoral fellowship positions are the following:

• Candidates must hold a recent PhD in the field of social sciences or related areas which was awarded over the last 5 years or received before starting work at HSE in a relevant field by an internationally recognized university and has been assessed by external reviewers as having the potential to pursue research that is publishable in leading peer-reviewed journals;
• Candidates should have a strong background in urban studies and urban sustainable development, ability to conduct research and work in team;  
• Fluent English is an obligatory condition as research and other activities are conducted in English. Knowledge of Russian is not required;
  
• Relevant experience will be an asset although not required.

The position involves:

• working under the direct supervision of Dr. Leonid Limonov, professor, Head of the Laboratory for Urban Studies;

• participants are encouraged to pursue their own research along with working on the Laboratory for Urban Studies’ research projects such as “Socio-political, economic, and ecological-climatic factors of sustainable territorial development under global challenges”
• writing research papers for international peer-reviewed journals in co-authorship with the members of the Lab;
• participation in the events of the Lab/ and other contribution to the Lab’s development;
• public presentations of candidate’s own research to the academic community;

• some teaching is encouraged, though not required.

Conditions

Appointments are made for one year. Postdoctoral fellows have high opportunity of renewal of the contract (no more than two times) in case of outstanding performance.

HSE University offers postdoctoral fellows a competitive salary, the standard medical insurance plan; a working space equipped with a computer and free Internet access at the University. The Lab offers access to its databases.  

Application Process

Applications must be submitted online. Please provide a CV, a statement of research interest and a recent research paper submitted via the online application form. At least two letters of recommendation should be sent directly to the International Faculty Recruitment Office at fellowship@hse.ru before the application deadline. Please note that direct applications to the hiring laboratory may not be reviewed.   

Read more about the application process here.

The deadline for the applications is January 31, 2026

Apply now

For more information:

• about Postdoctoral Fellowship -Frequently Asked Questions
  
• about HSE university –official web-site
  
• about the Laboratory for Urban Studies – official web-site of the Laboratory or contact Dr. Leonid Limonov, limonov@hse.ru directly
  
• about international specialists' life in Russia -International Faculty Support page

If you have any additional questions, feel free to contact the International Faculty Recruitment Office at fellowship@hse.ru