PhD Fellowship in Public Leadership for Sustainable Transformation in Tourism

Job description

We invite applicants for a PhD Fellowship in public leadership for sustainable transformation at the Faculty of Social Sciences, NHS – Department of Leadership and Service Innovation. The position is vacant from January 2026.

This is a trainee position that will give promising researchers an opportunity for academic development through a PhD education leading to a doctoral degree. The appointment is for three years with research duties exclusively.

The hired candidate will be admitted to the PhD program in Social Sciences. The education includes relevant courses amounting to about six months of study, a dissertation based on independent research, participation in national and international research environments, relevant academic communication, a trial lecture and public defence. Read more about the PhD education at UiS on

Research topic

This PhD scholarship focuses on the critical role public leadership plays in the Norwegian tourism industry. Public leadership is crucial for tourism, especially in the Nordic countries, where destination management organizations (DMOs) are often publicly owned but closely linked to the tourism industry. The public leadership creates complex networks of co-creative governance solutions and power-sharing, requiring dialogue between public and private actors to ensure democratic and sustainable processes. This is particularly important as the sector must address challenges related to climate change, community resilience, and economic sustainability, especially considering the increasing importance of tourism as an economic sector in Norway.

The PhD project will investigate how public leaders manage sustainable practices, policy-making, and stakeholder collaboration in tourism. Public management is essential for handling complex conflicts of interest, ensuring long-term vision and accountability, and mobilizing resources for systemic change. This scholarship provides an opportunity to contribute to a deeper understanding of sustainable governance and offer practical insights for a fair and resilient tourism industry.

The project will employ a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods. It can draw on various theoretical perspectives, with the most relevant fields being sustainable development, governance, leadership, management, and tourism / hospitality studies. You will work independently on the project "Promoting Responsible Public Leadership in the Norwegian Tourism Industry." At the same time, you will collaborate closely with an academic environment with a particular interest in responsible public leadership, management, governance, sustainability, and tourism in a Scandinavian context.

Project proposal

As an applicant, you must prepare a preliminary project proposal for a doctoral project within the subject area, which explains the problem, relevance, theoretical and methodological approach. Your preliminary project proposal will be included in the application assessment.

During the first three months of the employment period, the project proposal and progress plan will be further developed in cooperation with your supervisors and completed for the final plan for the PhD-project. A project proposal template can be found here.

The proposal must be a maximum of 2 - 4 pages.

Qualification requirements

We are looking for applicants with a strong academic background who have completed a five-year master degree (3+2) within tourism, hospitality, leadership and / or sustainable development or equivalent fields, preferably acquired recently; or possess corresponding qualifications that could provide a basis for successfully completing a doctorate.

To be eligible for admission to the doctoral programmes at the University of Stavanger both the grade for your master’s thesis and the weighted average grade of your master’s degree must individually be equivalent to or better than a B grade. If you finish your education (masters degree) in the spring of 2025 you are also welcome to apply.

Applicants with an education from an institution with a different grade scale than A-F, and / or with other types of credits than sp / ECTS, must attach a confirmed conversion scale that shows how the grades can be compared with the Norwegian A-F scale and a Diploma Supplement or similar that explains the scope of the subjects that are included in the education. You can use these conversion scales to calculate your points for admission.

Emphasis is also placed on your :

• previous experience from work and / or studies in Norway or another Scandinavian country
• interest in sustainable development, preferably with experience in tourism, hospitality, or related fields
• interest in and preferably documented experience with working with various research methods
• motivation for working independently under supervision and strong execution ability

You must have good communication skills in English. Additionally, you must have good communication skills in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language, as interviews, research data and information gathering are conducted in Norwegian

Requirements for competence in English

A good proficiency in English is required for anyone attending the PhD program. International applicants must document this with a valid test certificate from one of the following tests :

The following applicants are exempt from the above requirements :

We offer

Diversity

Diversity is a resource in the working and learning environment at UiS. When we have different backgrounds and experiences, we can approach challenges from multiple perspectives and find better solutions.

At UiS, we are committed to showing respect for each other's differences and accommodating employees with disabilities. We take into consideration your needs and your situation in various life phases.

If you find this position interesting, we encourage you to apply, regardless of gender, disability, cultural background, or whether you have been out of the workforce for a period.

If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, gaps in their CV, or immigrant backgrounds, we will invite at least one applicant from each of these groups for an interview. If you fall into any of these categories, feel free to indicate it when applying for the position.

Learn more about the criteria for being considered an applicant in these specific groups here.