PhD Position in Global Trade, Supply Chains and Climate Shocks
PhD Position in Global Trade, Supply Chains and Climate Shocks
100%, Zurich, fixed-term
Research Division KOF Lab of ETH Zurich’s KOF Swiss Economic Institute is seeking a PhD candidate to study the propagation of weather and climate shocks in quantitative trade network models. The position is part of the National Centre of Competence in Research project Climate Extremes and Society: Strengthening Resilience (NCCR CLIM+). NCCR CLIM+ is a new, interdisciplinary, Switzerland-wide climate research community involving multiple investigators at ETH Zurich and other Swiss institutions.
Job description
- The project at KOF Lab will center around assessing and promoting the resilience of supply chains by building and solving quantitative global equilibrium models of trade networks.
- We will use firm-level data to estimate the industry/country-level effects of various weather and climate shocks and input the estimated impacts into the model.
- To this end, the doctoral candidate will leverage theoretical, computational, and econometric tools to study public policy questions related to the resilience of global supply chains to climate change.
- The doctorate will be conducted within the doctoral program of D-MTEC (Department of Management, Technology, and Economics) and is expected to be completed within four years.
- The candidate will be supervised primarily by Professor Hans Gersbach and Dr. Kieran Walsh.
- The position is for up to four years. The salary is in accordance with the PhD regulations of the Swiss National Science Foundation, which funds the NCCR.
Profile
- The applicant should have a master’s degree in economics or finance. We will also consider candidates with a master’s degree in mathematics or statistics, provided they have completed some coursework in economics and are prepared to do intensive economics PhD training.
- Applicants must be highly proficient in English.
- The applicant should be proficient in either MATLAB, Python, or Julia and willing to work in MATLAB.
- Prior coursework in (i) trade theory and (ii) environmental economics would be a major asset.
- Experience with panel data econometrics would be beneficial.
Workplace
Workplace
We offer
- We offer the opportunity to apply cutting-edge economic theory to practical policy issues at the intersection of trade and climate change.
- Candidates will have the opportunity to contribute to NCCR CLIM+ research discussions.
- We offer the opportunity to join KOF, which is Switzerland’s leading academic institute for applied economic research. It provides independent and objective data and facts, as well as timely assessments to support decision-makers in politics and business in making fact-based decisions for the benefit of Swiss society.
- KOF PhD students are part of a large and vibrant community of economic researchers. The broader economics community in Zurich offers the opportunity to participate in numerous workshops and conferences spanning all fields of economics.
We value diversity and sustainability
Curious? So are we.
We look forward to receiving your online application until 3 July 2026 with the following documents:
- A letter of motivation, which should include a proposed starting date
- Your CV, which should include contact information for three references (no letters are needed at this point)
- Your university transcripts
- A chapter from your master’s thesis, a research paper you wrote or coauthored, OR a research paper to which you provided substantial assistance (with a very brief explanation of your contribution)
Further information about KOF Swiss Economic Institute can be found on our Website. Questions regarding the position should be directed to KOF HR Services, hr@kof.ethz.ch (no applications).
Please note that we exclusively accept applications submitted through our online application portal. Applications via email or postal services will not be considered.
A start in August or September 2026 would be preferred, but the exact starting date is negotiable.