Government and Politics PhD

Government and Politics:

1. Governance in turbulent context. Potential Supervisor: Georg Sootla
2. Public policy design and complexity. Potential Supervisor: Georg Sootla
3. Multilevel governance in local space. Potential Supervisor: Georg Sootla

International Relations:

1. Topics related to critical security studies, feminist and de-colonial peace and conflict studies, relational theorizing, knowledge production in IR, Anthropocene, critiques of liberal global governance institutions and mechanisms. Potential supervisors: Birgit Poopuu and Benjamin Klasche
2. Topics related to small state security, US foreign policy. Potential supervisor: Matthew Crandall

Law:

1. Current issues of EU law and politics

For general requirements, please read admission to PhD Studies.

Programme specific requirements:

• Admission exam (interview) is based on the plan for the doctoral thesis that is agreed with the prospective supervisor.

Structure of the PhD proposal (5-10 pages+references):        

• (1) subject of the doctoral thesis, including a brief summary of the research problem that the doctoral thesis seeks to solve
• (2) objectives of the research, main research questions and tasks or work hypotheses
• (3) brief overview of the most important thematic previous studies and theoretical standpoints with literature references
• (4) the data and research methods that are intended to be used to solve the research problem, including sampling principles
• (5) work plan, resources necessary for doctoral studies and potential risks
• 6) why did you choose Tallinn University?            

* The PhD proposal must be agreed upon and signed by a potential supervisor.

Supervisors contacts can be found here: https://www.tlu.ee/en/yti/contact-us

Supervisors research field can be found here: https://www.etis.ee

Triin Lauri

Triin Lauri is a Appointed Professor of Public Policy at Tallinn University and the recipient of an ERC Starting Grant. The ERC-funded project she leads, EDUMERIT, examines school choice policies and related experiences, and how these shape people’s perceptions of fairness and their policy preferences.

In the doctoral programme, Triin teaches and supervises research on social policy, theories of governance, and comparative research design. Her main research interests include comparative welfare policy, educational inequality, and market-making in public services. In these areas, she is either leading or participating in several international research projects and heads the Welfare Policy Research Group at the Centre of Excellence in Welfare Sciences.

Triin Lauri in the Estonian Research Information System.

Mari-Liis Jakobson

Mari-Liis Jakobson is a Professor of Comparative Politics, the Principal Investigator of the SIDESTREAM project and the Project Leader of the POLINERA project. Her research interests are related to populism and the forms and impacts of political radicalization, including the strategies and capacities of populist and far-right parties to appeal to different voter groups, as well as the effects of right- and left-wing radical politics on the political integration and transnational political participation and identity of people with a migration background. She also participates in the SustainERA project, where her area of responsibility is environmental political communication.

Mari-Liis Jakobson in the Estonian Research Information System

Anu Toots

Anu Toots is a distinguished professor of social policy who has successfully supervised numerous doctoral dissertations on the development of the welfare state and sectoral reforms. Methodologically, she favors comparative analyses and policy transfer frameworks. Having been involved at the European level in conceptualizing the so-called social investment (SI) turn of the welfare state, she is particularly interested, in her doctoral supervision, in the implementation of the SI approach across countries and within new policy domains (e.g. digital services and housing).

Anu Toots in the Estonian Research Information System

• A strong theoretical and methodological foundation in political science and public policy, covering comparative politics and policy analysis, governance theories, political theory, and international relations. The doctoral programme supports systematic thinking, creative application of theories, and methodological diversity.

• A focus on the relationship between politics and inequality, including welfare state developments, social cleavages, power relations, and the impacts of public policy. Research questions are addressed in the context of local, national, as well as international and multi-level processes.

• A research-driven and scholarly learning environment, where doctoral studies are closely linked to professors’ research (see faculty) and the international scientific community. Doctoral candidates are encouraged to participate in research networks, conferences, and joint discussions that support their development as independent researchers.

• An individual and flexible study path, tailored to the doctoral candidate’s research project, academic interests, and development needs, allowing the creation of a personalized academic profile.

• Regular university, institute, and TEHA research seminars, writing retreats, and methodology schools that foster collegiality, academic dialogue, and the development of argumentation and presentation skills in a supportive scholarly community.

• An internationally oriented doctoral training approach, emphasizing researcher development, interdisciplinarity, and early integration into international research and discussion networks.

• the research area in the School of Governance, Law and Society is internationally evaluated and nationally accredited;

• the lecturers are leading specialists in Estonia and include seven professors: Georg Sootla,  Raivo Vetik, Leif Kalev, Erik Terk , Peeter Selg, Mari-Liis Jakobson, Triin Lauri (administrator of the curriculum);

• doctoral seminars in the study of Government and Politics take place at least once a month and provide feedback from professors and fellow doctoral students;

• participation in conferences, seminars, summer schools and studying within the ERASMUS programme in foreign universities is supported in order to gain international experience;

• the School provides as much help as possible in order to get the doctoral students’ written works published in journals such as Acta Politica Estica and in Studies of Transition States and Societies, which is published in collaboration with the Institute of International and Social Studies;

• the School endeavours to accommodate individual expectations and work schedules;

• the doctoral students of Tallinn University are exempt from tuition fees. In addition, it is possible to apply for scholarships from University funding.

• Specific questions regarding the programme should be directed to the School of Governance, Law and Society:  Triin Vendik   phone: 6409 452  E-mail: yti-ope@tlu.ee

• For additional guidelines regarding admission procedure please contact the international admission specialist.

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