PhD Position on the Relationship between Digital Infrastructures and State Formation

Job Description

Digital infrastructures – broadly understood as ranging from the material infrastructures of the internet (routers, cables, datacentres) through protocols and standards all the way to the application layer – are ubiquitous these days. They form the substrate of what is often described as “digitality”, i.e. the fact that we live digital lives, exist in digital cultures and that digital technologies have become part and parcel of everyday live (Negroponte 1995).

Traditionally, infrastructures are understood as a domain of the state, even if not exclusively so. The relationship between infrastructures and states has long been an area of research in many disciplines. States rely on infrastructures to guarantee the functioning of the state and society, and states are often the actors that bring infrastructures into existence. The specific form and implementation of infrastructures however also shape the capabilities of the state. While they certainly do not determine the state, they allow for certain modes of governance, and preclude others.

For the case of digital infrastructures, there are important differences. Even though the Internet emerged from the state-sponsored efforts of the ARPANET, digital infrastructures today are built, maintained and evolved by private economic actors. The zones established through digital infrastructures are often larger than nation states, and may well be understood as orthogonal to the national order of things. Furthermore and as evidenced by the rise of the so-called social networks, they are also beginning to re-order the social.

It were however wrong to understand digital infrastructures as a mere challenge to states. Many states have also seized on the promises and potentialities of digital infrastructures in order to re-invent themselves for the 21st century. The digitalisation of public administration is one concrete example. Digital identity systems and tentative attempts to offer digital currencies cut closer to the central functions of the state. Even more fundamentally, state, society and economy are being re-imagined through digital infrastructures.

This PhD position offers the chance to explore the mutual entanglement of states and digital infrastructures in a specific case study of one state or state-like entity. As a PhD candidate, you will start by identifying a relevant case study, which will then be developed into a research design that will form the specific PhD project.

Your PhD project will be closely supervised by Dr. Bernd Kasparek and will be attached to project on Digital infrastructures and European integration. He will act as your daily supervisor. You will be free to pursue your research within the parameters indicated above and developed through your research design while the cooperation aims to collectively advance the more foundational concepts.

Through your empirical research, you will contribute to theoretical foundations of a) the relationship between states and infrastructures and b) how digital infrastructures differentiate themselves from other classes of infrastructures. You will contribute to the ongoing development of methodological approaches to the study of digital infrastructures, which necessarily will be large inter- and even transdisciplinary.

Job Requirements

• You are a highly motivated and enthusiastic researcher with the ambition to conduct high-quality research in a fast moving field of contemporary relevance.
• You have a Master’s degree in a relevant field, either from the technical and engineering disciplines, or the arts and humanities.
• You have prior experience with the study of digital technologies, infrastructures or states and government, and you are enthusiastic about interrogating the interaction of technology, infrastructures, society and government.
• You are highly interested in interdisciplinary research and understand yourself as a researcher crossing disciplinary boundaries.
• You have prior experience in independent qualitative or even ethnographic research. You are motivated to develop method innovations.
• You have a keen interest in contributing to the theoretical foundations underpinning the field of study.
• You have excellent study results and excellent command of English (essential). Please see for more information about English requirements: https://www.tudelft.nl/onderwijs/opleidingen/phd/admission
• You thrive in a collaborative and multi-disciplinary environment (essential).
• You are keen to collaborate with project partners and to translate your insights into practice and policy (desirable).

TU Delft

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty Technology, Policy and Management

The Faculty of TPM provides an important contribution to solving complex technical-social issues, such as energy transition, mobility, digitalisation, water management and (cyber) security. TPM does this with its excellent education and research at the intersection of technology, society and policy. We combine insights from both engineering and social sciences as well as the humanities. TPM develops robust models and designs, is internationally oriented and has an extensive network of knowledge institutions, companies, social organisations and governments.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management.
 

Conditions of employment 

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met. 

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from € 2872 per month in the first year to € 3670 in the fourth year. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills. 

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.  

For international applicants, TU Delft has the Coming to Delft Service. This service provides information for new international employees to help you prepare the relocation and to settle in the Netherlands. The Coming to Delft Service offers a Dual Career Programme for partners and they organise events to expand your (social) network.

Additional information

For more information about this vacancy, please contact dr. Bernd Kasparek via b.kasparek@tudelft.nl. 
For more information about the application procedure, please contact recruitment-tbm@tudelft.nl.

Application procedure

Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 17 May 2025 via the application button and upload the following documents:

• Curriculum Vitae (CV).
• Two-page motivation letter indicating your research interests and experience.
• One-page proposal with a rough description how you will approach the presented problem.
• Diplomas/degrees including a grade transcript of previous education at Bachelor and Master level (or preliminary grade transcript if still finishing up your MSc).   

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements. 

Please note:

• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post. 
• A pre-employment screening can be part of the selection procedure.
• A knowledge security check will be part of the selection procedure (for details page 45: national knowledge security guidelines).
• Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.