PhD study
The Institute for Forecasting CSPS SAS, as an external educational institution, has an agreement on cooperation in carrying out doctoral programmes with two leading Slovak universities:
- with the Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences of Comenius University in Bratislava in the study programme European Studies and Politics,
- with the Faculty of National Economy, University of Economics in Bratislava in the study program Economics.
We want to encourage all those who have the desire and ambition to explore relevant societal issues in depth to consider applying to these PhD programmes. Both programmes are available in English.
We offer:
- A quality programme with a focus on both content and the development of methodological skills,
- topics at the forefront of European research with implications for public policy making and policy change,
- the opportunity to work on international or national research projects,
- strong support from the wider scientific community at both institutions in the research process and the development of scientific and academic skills, including publishing in peer-reviewed journals,
- an attractive monthly stipend of €1,025.50 (net) (increases to €1,194 (net) after dissertation examination) and other means to carry out research, including financial support for methodological courses of international quality,
- in case of excellent results, support in post-doctoral programmes of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, or the offer of a position in a stable scientific institution.
If you are interested in pursuing a PhD, please contact the supervisor via email. Information about the application procedure and dates of admission interviews for doctoral studies can be found on the FSEV UK website. FSEV UK dates: 30.4.2026, or 15.8.2026.
The following dissertation topics are available for the academic year 2026/2027 in the programme European Studies and Policies:
Towards Transformative Regional Climate Change Adaptation: Risk Mapping and the Emergence of Eco-Social Governance and Financing Models (Mgr. Richard Filčák, MSc. PhD.)
Climate change is increasingly recognised not only as an environmental challenge but also as a systemic economic and social risk, with highly uneven regional impacts. Extreme weather events—such as floods, droughts, heatwaves, and storms—are generating rising economic losses, threatening infrastructure, livelihoods, and public finances. Traditional adaptation financing mechanisms, largely dependent on public budgets, EU funds, and post-disaster compensation, are proving insufficient in the face of accelerating climate risks. At the same time, it remains unclear how the growing financial burdens will be distributed and how the increasing risks can be sustainably financed. Public and private finances, including insurance systems, are under growing strain. Rising losses, uncertainty, and correlated risks challenge insurability, particularly in vulnerable regions. This has sparked debates about the future role of insurance, risk-sharing mechanisms, and hybrid public–private arrangements in supporting climate adaptation. Recent research and policy discussions increasingly point to the need for new eco-social models of regional responses to climate change impacts, including innovative financing approaches that integrate climate risk management, insurance, public investment, and social protection. Such models should aim not only to cover losses ex post, but also to incentivise risk reduction, strengthen regional resilience, and ensure social equity. However, these approaches remain conceptually fragmented and empirically underexplored, particularly in the context of Central and Eastern Europe and Slovakia. This dissertation seeks to address this gap by examining how emerging climate risks, budgetary pressures, and fiscal constraints can be embedded within broader eco-social coping strategies, policy approaches and alternative financing models for climate adaptation at the regional level. A case study of a selected NUTS 2 region is foreseen, using a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies.
Migration Politics and Policies: Determinants of Change, Actors and Dynamics (Mgr., MA Lucia Mýtna Kureková, PhD.)
Migration has been a critical component of European societies, and it is likely to dominate policy and political agendas in the coming years. Central European governments have thus far taken a conservative stance towards immigration from non-European countries and have shown relatively poor integration efforts. However, the numbers of incoming migrants in these countries continue to rise dynamically, also due to the Russian aggression in Ukraine, which initiated massive refugee flows towards Central European countries. This is likely to put pressure on enhanced integration and might shape public opinion about migration. This dissertation will analyse political context and migration policy making in Central Europe, focusing on both immigration and integration policies. It will track changes in migration and integration policies from the past to the present and, using mixed research methods, analyse the determinants, actors, and dynamics of change in immigrant admission and/or integration policies. It might also evaluate whether migration policies are effective in changing immigrant flows and their characteristics (composition). Research will primarily focus on Slovakia, but could be extended in a comparative design to other countries in Central Europe or in the European Union, or to various immigrant groups.
Impact of Emigration and Immigration on Local Governance (Mgr., MA Lucia Mýtna Kureková, PhD.)
Slovakia and other countries of Central Europe are facing changing migration dynamics, combining continued emigration of young and middle-aged citizens with rising incoming migration, including from non-EU countries. These processes are profoundly changing the socio economic, political, and cultural landscape of countries and localities. Due to significant regional disparities, municipalities across Slovakia face different pressures related to population changes and citizens’ needs. In light of apparent skill and labour shortages across Slovakia, engagement with citizens working abroad, as well as immigrant attraction and integration, might be a viable option to address local challenges and support local development. For local governments, the effects of emigration and immigration touch a broad range of local policy domains, including budget resources, service provision, the labour market, and even local politics. While researchers have extensively analysed national level emigration and immigration policies, local responses remain less well understood, especially in Central Europe. This dissertation will gather evidence about local-level governance responses, approaches, processes and strategies to migration, engaging with both emigration and immigration perspective. It will seek to understand how local governments and other local-level actors (NGOs, firms) in Slovakia respond to challenges of emigration and/or immigration. The research will consider how the national context, including the type of socio-economic model, industrial relations and public preferences, shapes the intensity, character and dynamics of local level actors’ activities, and how and why this might differ from experiences in other countries. This research will rely primarily on qualitative methods, using surveys, interviews, focus groups and other appropriate methodologies.
Decision-Making of High-Skilled Migrants at EU’s Political and Economic Border (Mgr., MA Lucia Mýtna Kureková, PhD.)
Studying migrants' decision-making has been at the forefront of the global migration research agenda. It is also at the core of the EU’s policy objectives, aiming at increasing Europe’s attractiveness to foreign talent and its ability to retain it. Talent politics has also been recognised in the Slovak context, including specific strategic papers and initiatives. Yet, there is still limited research on which specific factors most influence the decision-making process for international students and other highly skilled migrants when choosing destinations and considering whether to stay or leave. There is also a gap in understanding how these factors vary across EU member states, characterised by different migration and integration frameworks, social security systems or openness towards migrants. This dissertation will analyse the increasing migration of third country students and high-skilled migrants from non-EU countries coming to Slovakia, and the factors that could contribute to their settlement in Slovakia. The research will be based on mixed-methods, combining quantitative analysis with qualitative methodologies, and will engage with high-skilled migrants, their motivations and experiences.
Adaptation Strategies to Changing Skills Demand (Mgr., MA Lucia Mýtna Kureková, PhD.)
The digital and green transition, together with demographic change, brings about multidimensional, interconnected, and complex social and economic challenges. These challenges are particularly pressing in Slovakia, which belongs to countries with the highest risk of automation and digitisation, as well as a fast-ageing labour force. These transition processes have already affected the organisation and functioning of national and local labour markets, which are experiencing skill shortages and concurrent pressures to adapt to changing labour market demands. Rapid adaptation in terms of skills and knowledge is one specific aspect to which individuals, firms and governments at different levels need to respond. This dissertation will map and analyse skill adaptation approaches and strategies in response to digital, green, and demographic transitions by relevant actors (individuals, firms, and governments), considering different challenges across sectors, skill levels, and employer types. The student will preferably learn and apply a mixed-methods research design, using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, with a focus on (but not limited to) Slovakia.
Diversification of Family Behavior and Family Policy in Slovakia (doc. RNDr. Branislav Šprocha, PhD.)
Family behavior in Slovakia has undergone several dynamic and, in many aspects, historically unique transformational changes in the last three decades. The almost unified model of transitions to adulthood and its specific setting of individual transitions in new social, cultural, economic and political conditions have not found application. We are witnessing a significant diversification of family and reproductive behaviour. In addition to changes in the intensity and timing of marriage, motherhood and parenthood, they are reflected in the more frequent occurrence of some forms of couple coexistence and reproductive models that were specific to Slovak society until recently (e.g. childlessness, single childhood, late fertility, extramarital fertility). However, the question is how society and public policies in Slovakia reflect these shifts. The dissertation aims to indicate the main changes in family behaviour in Slovakia with a focus on its diversification in the context of their social perception and to reflect on the setting and character of selected family policy instruments. Since Slovakia is not the only European country in which such a dynamic transformation of family and reproductive behaviour occurs, an equally important goal will also be to identify potential efforts for such reflection in the public policies of selected post-communist states.
The Deepening Process of Population Ageing in Slovakia and Its Regions and Its Implications for Care Poverty
(doc. RNDr. Branislav Šprocha, PhD.)
Slovakia is one of the countries in which the process of population ageing has significantly accelerated in recent decades. The decline in fertility below the level of simple reproduction, the increase in life expectancy and the gradual shift of strong population cohorts to higher age categories are leading to a significant change in the age structure of the population. This development has fundamental consequences for social security systems, healthcare and especially for the area of long-term care. In the context of these changes, the concept of “care poverty” is increasingly being discussed, which points not only to a lack of financial resources, but also to limited access to adequate, affordable and high-quality care. This problem can be significantly differentiated depending on regional economic performance, demographic structure, availability of services and family resources. Despite the growing relevance of this issue, a comprehensive analysis is still lacking that would link demographic aging processes at the regional level with the risk of care poverty and with the implications for public policies in Slovakia. The main objective of the dissertation is to analyze the process of population ageing in Slovakia and its regions, identify its development trajectories and main demographic components, point out its connections with the increasing risk of care poverty and possible implications for public policy making. A wide range of different quantitative and qualitative methods will be used.