Doctoral Program

The MPIfG offers qualified graduate students an attractive research environment at the International Max Planck Research School on the Social and Political Constitution of the Economy (IMPRS-SPCE), a doctoral program offered jointly with the Faculty of Management, Economics and Social Sciences at the University of Cologne and the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Duisburg-Essen.

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International Max Planck Research School on the Social and Political Constitution of the Economy (IMPRS-SPCE)

Germany’s first graduate program in economic sociology and political economy, the IMPRS-SPCE welcomes outstanding doctoral students in political science and sociology from Germany and abroad. Its research explores the social and political foundations of modern economies and examines the interrelation between economic and social action. The School combines approaches from economic sociology and comparative and international political economy and has an international impact on the development of these fields of study. The program leads to a doctoral degree in sociology or political science.
International cooperation is a feature of the day-to-day work of the IMPRS-SPCE. Its students, many international, benefit from stays at IMPRS-SPCE partner institutions abroad, where they meet leading scholars in their fields. Thanks to the School’s unique curriculum of seminars, colloquia, and summer schools and the opportunity to contribute actively to the intellectual life of the MPIfG and its partner universities through their research projects, students acquire essential professional skills, guaranteeing them the best possible start to a research career.

Cotutelle

Students of the IMPRS-SPCE in Cologne and the graduate program at the École doctorale de Sciences Po in Paris can pursue a binational double doctorate (cotutelle de thèse). Cotutelle students have research stays in Cologne and Paris and enjoy a challenging curriculum of joint seminars and colloquia.

Max Planck Artificial Intelligence Network (MP-AIX)

The MPIfG is now part of the Max Planck Artificial Intelligence Network (MP-AIX), which supports excellent young researchers to carry out research on the development and application of AI methods by connecting them to advisors across the Max Planck Society. In the network’s 2027 PhD program, Regine Paul, leader of the Research Group on Technology and Statehood, is a faculty member and can be named by applicants as an advisor.

We welcome applications from candidates with a focus on real-world AI applications and methods and a social science research interest. Candidates should additionally outline their plan for a guest stay at another MPI where more technically oriented AI research is conducted. Please apply by October 31, 2026. Further information on the PhD program and the application process can be found on the MP-AIX website.

We aim to integrate doctoral researchers joining the Institute through MP-AIX into the International Max Planck Research School on the Social and Political Constitution of the Economy (IMPRS-SPCE).

Faculty

The IMPRS-SPCE faculty is made up of professors, research group leaders, and affiliated faculty members from the MPIfG and the Faculty of Management, Economics and Social Sciences at the University of Cologne and the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Duisburg-Essen.