Aalto University is where science and art meet technology and business. We shape a sustainable future by making research breakthroughs in and across our disciplines, sparking the game changers of tomorrow and creating novel solutions to major global challenges. Our community is made up of 12 000 students, 400 professors and close to 4 000 other faculty and staff working on our dynamic campus in Espoo, Finland, just 10 minutes away from the Helsinki city centre. 

 

At the School of Business, we strive for better business and better society. We are the first business school in the Nordic countries to have received all three labels of excellence from the world's leading business school accreditation bodies – AACSB, AMBA, and EQUIS – and one of the top business schools in Europe.

 

The International Business unit at Aalto University School of Business invites applications for the DOCTORAL STUDIES IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS.

The International Business (IB) unit at the Aalto University School of Business is one of the leading IB units in Europe. We offer a four-year Doctoral Program, which fosters passion for multidisciplinarity, multiculturalism and creativity.

The goal of our Doctoral Program is to train well-rounded researchers who are able to pursue academic careers and obtain employment at top business schools. Doctors from our Program have also been recruited in leading roles in the corporate sector. We host and organize modules of the Nord-IB (Nordic Research School of International Business) program in which most of our PhD students participate. Additionally, we are a home to the Qual+ Aalto Center for Qualitative Management Research. This is a hub of excellence in qualitative management and organization research that serves as a resource and a training center for researchers. The dissertations and thesis proposals of our students have won and been nominated for a number of international awards granted by AIB, AOM, EIBA and EDAMBA. Doctoral researchers will also gain teaching experience with our faculty.

Our IB faculty is well known for their phenomenon-based, cutting-edge contributions to research that explores the effects of global challenges such as the energy transition, sustainability and geopolitical tensions on business and society. Meeting these challenges requires increasing public-private sector cooperation at all levels of governance. Our recent research has explored themes such as sustainable cities, the locational competition for strategic activities, including headquarters and green investments, and how the strategic decisions unfold within the international arena amidst the pressures of the changing global landscape.

 

Our faculty publish their research in leading IB and management journals, host regular international research seminars and are actively engaged in research collaboration with other top international scholars, some of whom serve as our Visiting Professors. More information on the Faculty supervising doctoral students and their research interests can be found at Aalto IB Doctoral Program website: https://www.aalto.fi/en/department-of-management-studies/doctoral-program-in-international-business. We offer a structured doctoral programme where the doctoral students are supervised by a committee of up to three members, which can be interdisciplinary and include members from outside Aalto University.

Funding for doctoral studies is guaranteed for two years after which it is available either from the School or through external foundations. There are a number of foundations that provide funding for doctoral studies and conference trips.

Finland is a great place to live with or without family – it is a politically stable and well-organized Nordic society. Finland is consistently ranked high in quality of life and was just listed again as the happiest country in the world: 7 reasons why you can find happiness in Finland | Visit Finland. Finland offers many excellent state-subsidized services including affordable daycare and education free of charge. Finnish schools and universities are consistently ranked among the best in the world. Finland is also a research-friendly country, where companies are willing to participate in academic research and, in general, data is easily accessible.

The application period is 11 Dec 2023 – 11 Jan 2024 for positions starting on September 2024. Detailed information about the application process for our doctoral program and online applications may be found: Aalto Doctoral Programme in Business, Economics and Finance | Aalto University

For more information please contact the Head of the IB Doctoral Program, Assistant Professor Iiris Saittakari ([log in to unmask]).