Postdoctoral fellow in Economic History

Lund University is a government agency, which means that you receive special benefits, generous vacation and a favorable occupational pension. Wellness reimbursement and a paid wellness hour are included as part of the employment benefits.
Lund University School of Economics and Management is one of eight faculties within Lund University. More than 4 000 students and 450 researchers, teachers and other staff are engaged here in training and research in economic history, business administration, business law, informatics, economics, statistics and research policy.
Lund University School of Economics and Management is accredited by the three largest and most influential accreditation institutes for business schools: EQUIS, AMBA and AACSB. Only just over 100 business schools in the world have achieved this prestigious Triple Crown accreditation.
The Department of Economic History has a well-established reputation for wide-ranging research programmes with an emphasis on long-term processes, based on economic theory and quantitative methods as important tools. The research topics are oriented towards issues of high relevance for society.
The Department has an acknowledged international publication record and is very successful at attracting external funding. More than 80 percent of the Department’s total budget is dedicated to research. The staff are young and international, with extensive international networks and are well represented at international research conferences. There is a clear link between strong research areas and the development of teaching.
Postdoctoral fellow in Economic History
The Department of Economic history is hiring one Postdoctoral Researcher in project Colonialism
, elite formation, persistence and change: The Cape Colony, 1652-1840.
The project is funded by the Swedish Research Council and Handelsbanken’s Research foundation and will run until December 2029. It is led by Professor Erik Green and aims to analyse the interaction between political and economic elites at the Cape Colony.
The project draws on a unique body of historical sources; e.g. annual tax census, the South Africa Families register, Auction Rolls, Probate Inventories and Council of Policy meetings minutes. The postdoctoral fellow will primarily focus on mapping the indigenous Khoe elites and study the interaction between them and various colonial elites, combining both qualitative and quantitative methods, with a strong emphasis on GIS and spatial analysis.
The fellow will work closely with the PI and other project members, contributing to joint publications while also developing their own research agenda within the scope of the project. The position may include a limited amount of teaching and/or supervision at the undergraduate or master’s level.

Qualifications

Eligibility

To be eligible for appointment as a postdoctoral researcher, applicants must:
Hold a PhD in Economic History or in a closely related field relevant to the position, such as Economics, Economic Geography, Statistics or History.
The PhD should normally have been awarded no more than three years prior to the application deadline. Applicants who obtained their PhD earlier may also be considered if special circumstances apply. Special circumstances include, for example, illness, parental leave, trade union assignments, military service or other similar circumstances, as well as relevant professional experience or assignments.
Applicants who have not yet been awarded their PhD may also be considered, provided that the PhD or an equivalent foreign degree has been awarded by the time the appointment decision is made.

Required qualifications

To perform the duties of the position successfully, the applicant must have:
A high level of academic competence.
Excellent written and spoken English language skills.
Documented experience in working with historical source material and archival records.
Documented experience in quantitative data management and statistical analysis using R or STATA.
Documented experience of independently conducting academic research and analysing empirical material.
The ability to work independently, as well as the ability to collaborate with different teams and functions.
Desirable qualifications
The following qualifications are considered an advantage:
Documented experience of research on colonialism, colonial social structures, or economic and political elites.
Documented experience in working with historical source material from Southern Africa, particularly the Cape Colony.
Experience in working with source material relating to Indigenous populations, particularly the Khoikhoi.
Experience in combining qualitative and quantitative research methods.
Documented experience in GIS-based research and spatial analysis.
Experience of academic collaboration and co-authorship.
Documented experience of teaching and/or supervision at university level.

Assessment criteria

The applicant must demonstrate a high level of research competence, which will primarily be assessed based on the quality of their doctoral thesis and/or publications.

Application

Applications should be written in English and must include:
Cover letter
Curriculum Vitae
Publication list and certificates
Two reference letters
Applications are due by 30 November 2026.

Terms of employment

First day of employment: December 15, 2026 or after agreement
Type of employment: Fixed-term employment for two years
Extent of employment: 100%