PhD Candidate: Urban Circular Systems 100%

PhD Candidate: Urban Circular Systems 100%

Do you want to achieve impactful sustainability? Be part of an international research project that brings food production to cities in Africa. Develop circular-based social solutions together with the population.

Department: Life Sciences and Facility Management

Start date: From March 1, 2026, or by arrangement

With your doctoral thesis (Topic: Transition Pathways and Resource Efficiency of Circular Soilless Systems in African Urban Food Systems), you will make a significant contribution to the FEAT4AFRICA project. You will take a central role in the development and scientific evaluation of soilless food production systems in Africa.

Your tasks:

• You independently develop and implement field studies on circular soilless systems (e.g., aquaponics, hydroponics, bioponics) in African cities. You ensure precise monitoring of the performance of these systems.
• You analyze the resource efficiency and environmental impacts of the systems, especially regarding water, energy, and nutrient consumption.
• You investigate which social and institutional factors influence the acceptance and dissemination of these technologies. For this, you use surveys, interviews, and participatory stakeholder workshops.
• You integrate technical, ecological, and socio-economic data to understand how innovative agricultural systems can be established in the long term.
• You publish your research results in recognized scientific journals and participate in disseminating the project outcomes.
• You engage in knowledge transfer through workshops, training, or living labs with local partners.

The doctoral degree will be awarded by ETH Zurich, Switzerland.

Requirements:

• You have a master's degree in environmental sciences, agricultural sciences, engineering, or a related field and possess a pronounced systemic way of thinking.
• You have experience or demonstrated interest in sustainable food systems, circular agriculture, or research in the Water-Energy-Food-Health (WEFH) nexus as well as in transdisciplinary and holistic solution approaches.
• You have strong analytical skills and confidently apply both quantitative and qualitative research methods in complex contexts.
• You communicate clearly in English and German and enjoy working in an international and transdisciplinary research environment.
• You are highly motivated, reliable, and proactive and demonstrate a high degree of personal responsibility and commitment.

Desirable qualifications:

• Experience with Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) or environmental footprint analysis.
• Interest in data-driven approaches and familiarity with tools such as Python, R, or other programming languages.
• Experience in field research in resource-poor or international contexts.
• Familiarity with participatory research methods and stakeholder engagement processes.
• You enjoy working in diverse cultural contexts, value teamwork and shared learning. You are motivated by research that creates concrete and socially relevant added value.

The ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences, with over 14,000 students and more than 11,000 continuing education participants as well as around 3,700 employees, is one of the largest multi-disciplinary universities of applied sciences in Switzerland.

Life Sciences and Facility Management: Studying and researching in Wädenswil: practice-oriented, creative, passionate, and reflective. With our expertise in Life Sciences and Facility Management, we make an important contribution in the fields of Environment, Food, and Health to solving our societal challenges and improving our quality of life.

The Institute for Environment and Natural Resources (IUNR) is committed to the sustainable use of natural resources. We conduct applied research and development. As pioneers in developing sustainable solutions, we work interdisciplinarily and scientifically on current, socially relevant issues. The thematic focus is on the interfaces between society, environment, and technology.

ZHAW is committed to gender-mixed and diverse teams to promote equality, diversity, and innovation. To increase the proportion of women in leadership positions, applications from women are particularly welcome.

We offer university-appropriate working and employment conditions and actively promote the personnel development of our employees and managers. A detailed description of the benefits can be found on the "Working at ZHAW" website. Here are the main points:

Dr. Zala Schmautz

Co-Head of the Aquaculture Systems Research Group

Manuela Laure

Recruiting Manager