University of St. Gallen 
St. Gallen, Switzerland Offer Summary
The University of St. Gallen offers a full-time PhD position in AI Literacy and Regulatory Learning within the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network REGULAIRE. Candidates will examine how AI-literacy frameworks enhance absorptive capacity in public bodies, utilizing case studies to measure impacts on evidence generation and procurement. The role includes building typologies of literacy interventions, refining research designs, and completing a doctoral thesis. A key feature is a planned three-month secondment to a partner organization for direct insight into public administration initiatives. Supervision is provided by Prof. Aurelia Tamò-Larrieux and Ass. Prof. Sandra Cortesi. Applicants require a Master’s degree in relevant social science fields, strong English skills, and MSCA eligibility, including compliance with the mobility rule regarding residence in Switzerland. The position fosters interdisciplinary research across ten European universities, offering network training, summer schools, and practitioner engagement opportunities.
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Project Description
Your tasks
- Examine how AI-literacy frameworks cultivate individual and organisational absorptive capacity in public bodies and support regulatory learning.
- Use case studies and pre/post assessments to measure how literacy interventions affect evidence generation, procurement choices, escalation paths and the circulation of lessons across units and agencies.
- Build an inventory and typology of AI-literacy frameworks, validate interventions, report on literacy effects, and develop guidance for integrating literacy with procurement and review cycles.
- Refine the research questions and design with the supervision team; prepare ethics, data-management and open-science materials; complete a doctoral thesis and related publications.
- Participate in REGULAIRE training, network reviews, dissemination, practitioner engagement, summer schools and monthly paper development seminars.
Secondment
Within the position, a secondment to a partner organization is planned.
Supervision
Primary supervision by Prof. Aurelia Tamò-Larrieux (HSG), co-supervision by Ass. Prof. Sandra Cortesi, plus a sectoral mentor at the secondment host. The secondment provides direct insight into the design and evaluation of AI-literacy initiatives in a public administration.
Your profile
- Master's degree (or equivalent qualification giving access to doctoral studies at the University of St. Gallen) in public administration, political science, learning sciences, information systems, communication, law, or a related social science/interdisciplinary field, completed by the start date.
- Skills or demonstrable interest in case studies and intervention research, including pre/post assessment designs.
- Strong interest in AI literacy, public administration, AI governance and interdisciplinary research.
- Excellent written and spoken English; reliable, independent and analytical working style.
- Willingness to engage in international mobility and network-wide activities, including the planned secondment.
- Fulfilment of the doctoral admission requirements of the University of St.Gallen and the MSCA eligibility conditions.
Eligibility
- Applicants may be of any nationality and must not hold a doctoral degree at the start of MSCA employment.
- Applicants must comply with the MSCA mobility rule: they must not have resided or carried out their main activity in Switzerland for more than 12 months during the 36 months immediately preceding the start date (subject to the standard MSCA exclusions).
- Applicants must be eligible for timely enrolment in the relevant doctoral programme at the University of St.Gallen.
The Institute of Law and Economics (ILE-HSG) conducts research at the interface of law (tax law and public law) and business (corporate governance, reporting and tax & trade). ile.unisg.ch.
We offer
- A doctoral position within the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network REGULAIRE, with an international cohort of 15 doctoral candidates across ten European universities.
- Cross-institutional supervision, network-wide methods training, three residential summer schools, monthly paper development seminars and practitioner engagement.
- A stimulating interdisciplinary research environment at the University of St.Gallen with opportunities to contribute to national and international research and policy networks.
- A planned three-month intersectoral secondment as part of the doctoral project.
The opportunity to complete a doctoral thesis and develop an independent research profile in AI governance, law and technology, and regulatory learning.
Documents:
Motivation letter; CV; academic credentials/transcripts; at least two reference letters; a short research proposal engaging with the doctoral project.
Apply:
Apply on the portal of the University of St. Gallen
Application deadline:
07.11.2026
We are looking forward to your online-application stating the job ID apply here
Further information on working at the HSG can be found here.
For job-related questions
Prof. Aurelia Tamò-Larrieux
Professorin für Recht und Technologie Ladislava Metzger
Administrative Institutsleitung
