PhD. Programme
The Institute of Ethnology and Social Anthropology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences as an external educational institution conducts doctoral study programmes in the field of “World Cultures and Religions” and “Social Anthropology” on a full-time basis.
Doctoral study
As an external educational institution, the Institute of Ethnology and Social Anthropology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences has a contract in place with the Faculty of Arts of Comenius University in Bratislava on conducting doctoral studies in the study programme “World Cultures and Religions” (four-year study, full-time), and with the Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences of Comenius University in Bratislava for the study programme “Social Anthropology” (three-year study, full-time or in external form).The guarantor of the doctoral studies at the Institute of Ethnology and Social Anthropology SAS is Prof. Elena Marushiaková.
PhD students carry out their studies at the IESA SAS, while being enrolled at the doctoral study desks of the respective faculties. Doctoral studies are conducted based on individual study plans under the leadership of a tutor from the IESA SAS, and consist of scientific, educational, and pedagogical activities. The scientific activities have the form of individual or team research work of the PhD student and are tied to the topic of the dissertation thesis. The educational part consists of attending lectures and seminars, and individual study of expert literature. PhD students complete mandatory and optional courses offered by the respective faculties, and the IESA SAS provides doctoral seminars for the 1st and 2nd year of the studies. The studies include pedagogical activities or other pedagogy-related specialised activities. The studies run based on a credit system of the given faculty, and PhD students must obtain credits from all (scientific, educational, and pedagogical) parts of their studies.
The PhD candidate is entitled to a scholarship amounting to €1,025.50 starting from September 1, 2023 (after the dissertation exam, €1,194.00).
For the academic year 2024/2025, the IESA SAS is opening two PhD positions.
In case of questions regarding doctoral studies at IESA SAS, you can contact the Doctoral Studies Officer Mgr. Miroslava Hlinčíková, PhD.
More information about the PhD studies at the Slovak Academy of Sciences can be found HERE.
Information for applicants
- Applications for PhD studies are accepted from May 1, 2024, to May 31, 2024. To apply for the program, the application must be submitted through the e-application portal of Comenius University in Bratislava. The applicant must also send the application and its attachments in hard copy to the faculty (via the Department of Science and PhD Studies).
- In the application, include one of the topics announced by the IESA SAS. State in your application that you are applying to IESA SAS. For the academic year 2024/2025, we are announcing topics for full-time study only (D).
- More detailed information about application process for PhD studies can be found HERE.
- Information about the doctoral studies at the Slovak Academy of Sciences can be found HERE.
Required attachments
Required attachments for the PhD. application at the Faculty of Philosophy, Comenius University are (see the document “Admission Procedure Rules” for more details):
- Curriculum vitae (in Slovak, Czech, or English),
- Certified copies of documents proving completion of second-level education;
- Dissertation project proposal focusing on the announced topic, outlining the research subject, methodological basis and procedures, research objectives, and a list of relevant literature (total extent max. 10 standard pages),
- List of published articles or list of results from other professional or artistic activities, and reviews of these works and activities, if available, [1]
- Proof of payment of the application fee.
[1] Please refer to Article 11, paragraph 7, letter c) of the admission procedure rules at Comenius University for more information.
Optional Attachments:
- An example of published text or a thesis
- Motivation letter (max 3600 characters including spaces)
If any topic interests you, feel free to contact the potential supervisor for consultation before the selection process.
Topics of PhD theses (2024/2025)
Supervisor:Mgr. Tatiana Zachar Podolinská, PhD.
Program: World Cultures and Religions, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University
Form of study: Full-time
Annotation: In current societies, we face a diversity of secular worldviews and religious and spiritual standpoints. In the field of religious studies, more attention should be paid to the adjusting of approaches to how to grasp and label modern forms of religiosity, spirituality, and irreligiosity. The reflexive post-paradigmatic turn can shed light on the shadowy places of current research and elevate knowledge of what religion is and what roles it plays in modern societies.
Supervisor: Mgr. MgA. Jaroslava Panáková, PhD.
Program: World Cultures and Religions, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University
Form of study: Full-time
Annotation: Using in-depth ethnography, sensory anthropology and cognitive studies this PhD. project aims to explore ecological relations among people, domestic animals, wild animals, plants, and the landscape. The goal is to identify the patterns of sensory communication of the subjects in the current realm of ecological change and risk.
Supervisor: Mgr. MgA. Jaroslava Panáková, PhD.
Program: World Cultures and Religions, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University
Form of study: Full-time
Annotation: Since the publication by Martin Slivka Slovak Ethnographic Film. Filmography, there is a lack of systematic research of filmic ethnological documents in Slovakia. Many collections, such as the one in the Slovak National Museum in Martin, are not sufficiently processed. The goal of the project will be to process the documents, analyse them, contextualise them within the framework of the development of ethnological/anthropological research in Slovakia and film documentary production, and last but not least, place them in a broader world context in visual anthropology.
Supervisor: PhDr. Katarína Popelková, CSc.
Program: World Cultures and Religions, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University
Form of study: Full-time
Annotation:In modern society, festive culture is influenced by the process of transformation. Holidays and celebrations are losing their meaningful relationship and commemorative dimension in secularisation and individualisation. The offer of cultural experiences penetrates our social contacts. The subject of an empirical study in this topic is pre-arranged and managed events oriented towards offering a complex cultural experience for visitors.
Supervisor: PhDr. Katarína Popelková, CSc.
Program: World Cultures and Religions, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University
Form of study: Full-time
Annotation: Wine festivals and celebrations spread worldwide offer visitors gastronomic and cultural experiences, relaxation, and entertainment. They take place in wine-growing areas, and their function is primarily commercial. These are carefully produced events that are part of local branding. The subject of an empirical study is the programmatic elements of these events and the functions they fulfil for the organisers and local society.
Supervisor: Mgr. Martina Wilsch, PhD.
Program: World Cultures and Religions, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University
Form of study: Full-time
Annotation: The subject of research within the topic is transnational practices of care and social reproduction in transnational families, i.e., those where at least one of its members lives in another country. Depending on the interest and choice of the applicant, it can be, for example, families of women from Slovakia who work in German-speaking countries as nannies, families of emigrants from Ukraine or transnational families. Interest in applying the theoretical approaches of the anthropology of care, migration studies, studies of transnational migration and care, as well as the gender perspective and feminism, is welcome.
Supervisor: PhDr. Monika Vrzgulová, CSc.
Program: World Cultures and Religions, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University
Form of study: Full-time
Annotation: Family memory represents a specific field of research within memory studies. It focuses on the intimate space of the family. Family memory is characterised by intergenerational interaction and communication, the dynamics of its formative, value-oriented and identity-forming functions. Current research investigates the relationship between intergenerational communication and identity, the quality of relationships and expressions of care in the family, or family memory and relationships to home, housing and property. It examines communication opportunities, reasons for family reunions, and the role of modern communication technologies. The issues outlined above offer inspiration for further exploration in the context of a PhD.
Supervisor: Mgr. Vladimír Bahna, PhD.
Program: World Cultures and Religions, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University
Form of study: Full-time
Annotation: Social cohesion is a multifaceted phenomenon that calls for interdisciplinary approaches and mixed methods while providing diverse social manifestations for its exploration. The research can target beliefs, behaviours and social structures that shape and express group identities, as well as interpersonal relationships, trust and cooperation that reveal the cognitive and emotional underpinnings of social integration (or conflict).
Supervisor: Mgr. Soňa Gyárfáš Lutherová, PhD.
Program: World Cultures and Religions, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University
Form of study: Full-time
Annotation: Photographs and videos, as components of family archives, (re)construct memories of individuals and social groups (from family to society). The dissertation project explores the relationship between „small” and „grand” narratives in family memory by exploring audiovisual sources. It specifically addresses the issue of intergenerational transfer of memories in the context of individual and collective remembering. The research is grounded in the principles of multimodal anthropology and supports knowledge production through various methods across media. Beyond the obligatory textual component, other creative forms (video, series of photographs, comics, performance, etc.) are therefore welcomed as part of the output.
Supervisor: Mgr. Soňa Gyárfáš Lutherová, PhD.
Consultant: Mgr. Miroslava Hlinčíková, PhD.
Program: World Cultures and Religions, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University
Form of study: Full-time
Annotation: The dissertation research will trace the housing pathways of homeless individuals or families (without stable housing) – from the loss of housing and homelessness to different forms of temporary accommodation. In the form of qualitative research, it will observe how structural (inequality, lack of social support/work, social policies based on merit…) and individual factors (family background, financial situation, health problems…) have influenced the housing pathways of individuals or families. At the same time, it can focus on how these experiences of different forms of housing influence people’s idea of what home is.
Supervisor: Mgr. Tatiana Zachar Podolinská, PhD.
Consultant: Mgr. Juraj Majo, PhD.
Program: World Cultures and Religions, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University
Form of study: Full-time
Annotation: The thesis focuses on the analytical evaluation and explanation of current indicators of religiosity within the Central European framework, primarily utilising sample surveys. It assesses the dynamics of changes in religiosity within a broad context, with a particular focus on the societal processes involved. In addition to examining national and ethnic levels, it comprehensively evaluates other demographic and spatial contexts of these processes.
Supervisor: Prof. Elena Marushiaková
Program: World Cultures and Religions, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University
Form of study: Full-time
Annotation: Based on historical and ethnographic research, the dissertation will trace the processes of transformation of the different identities of the Roma (or other communities under this umbrella term) living in mixed or border regions from the point of view of the existence of these identities in two dimensions – at the ethnic and at the national level. Research can be focused on the specific parameters and different aspects of these processes, e.g. ethnic mimicry, publicly declared identity, preferred ethnic identity, national civic identity, and European Roma identity.
Supervisor: Mgr. Ľubica Voľanská, PhD.
Program: World Cultures and Religions, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University
Form of study: Full-time
Annotation: Reflections on design for all and technological progress that are expected to improve older people’s lives dramatically are also current challenges for research in social and cultural anthropology. This kind of research on ageing and old age is the intersection of the material-objective world and its personal-subjective perception. The dissertation should address the topic of materiality involving “non humane” actors creating our social world. It includes, for example, the design of assistive technologies or environments suitable for all ages.
Supervisor: Mgr. Ľubica Voľanská, PhD.
Program: World Cultures and Religions, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University
Form of study: Full-time
Annotation: Safeguarding policies embodied, for example, by the UNESCO 2003 Convention of the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of primarily serve to preserve the intangible cultural heritage or living heritage in the communities concerned. However, they also offer an opportunity for political and institutional manipulation, leading to its commercialisation, distortion of its presentation outside the local community, changes in original norms, values and functions associated with it, or misuse of living heritage to promote political and personal or group interests. The topic of the dissertation should be the ethnological reflection – a case study of one of the elements of living heritage inscribed in one of the UNESCO Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Supervisor: Mgr. Andrej Gogora, PhD.
Program: World Cultures and Religions, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University
Form of study: Full-time
Annotation: The submitted topic of doctoral study requires from the applicant an interdisciplinary (ethnology and anthropology – archiving – digital humanities) and theoretical-applied approach (interpretation and heuristics – creation of practical outputs and methodologies). It focuses on current approaches and trends in the design and construction of digital research collections in the humanities, especially in ethnology and anthropology. Emphasis is placed on the problem of metadata structures of research collections, the applicability of research collections in the practice of humanities research and their further perspective use (scientific and non-scientific). The study also includes professional activities at the Department of Research Collections of IESA SAS, including the practical preparation and creation of specific sets of digital research collections
Supervisor: Mgr. Daniel Škobla, PhD.
Program: World Cultures and Religions, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University
Form of study: Full-time
Annotation: The research focuses on examining both job opportunities at the local level and labour migration, specifically in relation to the Roma population. The research analyses labour issues, including work in the informal economy and the follow-up life strategies of Roma in order to obtain work and income. The research identifies factors such as power asymmetries between Roma and non-Roma actors such as municipal leaders, employers or intermediary agencies that may enable or hinder Roma access to work and the labour market. The research is based on an interdisciplinary approach, dominated by ethnographic field research, but which can also be complemented by archival research or quantitative statistical methods.
Supervisor: Mgr. Jana Belišová, PhD.
Program: World Cultures and Religions, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University
Form of study: Full-time
Annotation: Currently, we can observe in the Roma communities a revival of religious life and an inclination towards a Pentecostal type of piety. Closely related to this is the increase, popularity and firm place of Romani Christian songs in the active repertoire. It is a living and changing layer of the Romani repertoire. In different denominations, the style of songs is similar, and musical groups and spiritual music festivals are formed.
A list of current doctoral theses at IESA SAS
- Topic: Self-presentation of people with anti-vaccination convictions with regard to the social representations of conspiracy theorists
Supervisor: Zuzana Panczová
PhD student: Natália Slivková
Educational institution: Faculty of Arts, Comenius University in Bratislava
- Topic: Job opportunities and barriers to access to the labour market for inhabitants of marginalised Roma groups from the socio-anthropological perspective
Supervisor: Daniel Škobla
PhD student: Korina Mitrová
Educational institution: Faculty of Arts, Comenius University in Bratislava
- Topic: Cultural heritage in practice
Supervisor: Alexandra Bitušíková
Consultant: Daniel Luther
PhD student: Baračková Katarína
Educational institution: Faculty of Arts, Comenius University in Bratislava
- Supervisor: Social and cultural aspects of ethnic health inequalities: the case of health status of Roma in Slovakia
Tutor: Andrej Belák
PhD student: Kristína Cichová
Educational institution: Faculty of Arts, Comenius University in Bratislava
- Supervisor: Post-modern forms of Marian devotion in Central, Eastern, and South-Eastern Europe
Tutor: Tatiana Zachar Podolinská
PhD student: Bahdan Serdziuk
Educational institution: Faculty of Arts, Comenius University in Bratislava
- Topic: The Process of Identity Formation in Times of Uncertainty
Supervisor: Soňa G. Lutherová
PhD Student: Maroš Ondrejka
Educational Institution: Faculty of Arts, Comenius University in Bratislava
- Topic: The Identity of a Modern Astrologer: A Comparative Study of a Russian-speaking Sample
Supervisor: Tatiana Zachar Podolinská
PhD Student: Evgenii Alexandrovič Farafanov
Educational Institution: Faculty of Arts, Comenius University in Bratislava
- Topic: Religion, Spirituality, and Secularism in Contemporary Societies: A Post-Paradigmatic Shift (Approaches and Categories)
Supervisor: Tatiana Zachar Podolinská
PhD Student: Iveta Štefanovičová
Educational Institution: Faculty of Arts, Comenius University in Bratislava
- Topic: Developmental Processes and Contemporary Forms of Traditional Customs
Supervisor: Zuzana Beňušková
PhD Student: Martin Lukáč
Educational Institution: Faculty of Arts, Comenius University in Bratislava
- Topic: Living Heritage and the Roles of Various Actors in its Protection (Communities of Bearers, Institutions at Different Levels – from Community to UNESCO)
Supervisor: Ľubica Voľanská
PhD Student: Paulína Blahová
Educational Institution: Faculty of Arts, Comenius University in Bratislava
- Topic: Housing Accessibility for Vulnerable Groups
Supervisor: Soňa G. Lutherová
PhD Student: Laura Kovácsová
Educational Institution: Faculty of Arts, Comenius University in Bratislava
Graduates (2023/2024)
- Topic: The impacts of allocated workplaces of vocational schools on the social integration, social mobility, and employment of the Roma
Tutor: Tomáš Hrustič
PhD student: Edita Rigová
Educational institution: Faculty of Arts, Comenius University in Bratislava