We are seeking two PhD students to work on dissertations aligned with the ERC grant “GAMEINDEX: Politics and aesthetics of indexical representation in digital games and VR.“ The project starts in October 2025, is headed by Dr. Jaroslav Švelch, and located at Charles University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Communication Studies and Journalism within the Prague Game Production Studies research group. 

Dissertation topic: 

GAMEINDEX focuses on indexical representation in games – both as traces of real-life objects or people in the simulated worlds of digital games and VR, and as references to physical locations. PhD students will be involved in the work package that analyzes indexical representation in games and/or VR apps as media artifacts. The applicants are invited to propose a project within the scope of GAMEINDEX, focusing on representation of a certain region and its locations, culture, and/or history in games and VR apps produced both within and outside that region. We are looking for applicants from a diverse set of regional backgrounds including locations deemed peripheral by mainstream game culture. The research is expected to involve qualitative content analysis/close reading, discourse analysis, and interviews with developers or stakeholders. For more information about the project, see the project description here. Besides their main focus on in-game representation, the PhD students will also take part in the analysis of discourse about indexical techniques and contribute to a database that is a part of the project’s output. 

Candidate requirements: 

Candidates must complete their Master’s degree by August 30, 2025. They are expected to be well-versed in literature related to game production and game representation and be skilled in qualitative content analysis or related methods. During their PhD, the candidates will be required to present papers at academic conferences and produce publications for international peer-reviewed journals.  

Practical arrangements: 

Starting in the Fall semester of 2025, the successful applicants will enroll into the Media and Communication Studies 4-year English-language PhD program in the combined form. They will be employed by the GAMEINDEX project and will receive a full-time salary for the duration of four years. Successful applicants are expected to relocate to Prague and are eligible for a relocation fee from the project budget. 

Application procedure: 

The deadline for the application is APRIL 30, 2025. To apply, the candidate must submit a structured CV, a 10-page dissertation project and a list of literature they wish to discuss at the admission interview. We strongly encourage prospective applicants to get in touch earlier to consult their application. The admission interview will focus on the dissertation project and the list of literature and will be conducted remotely. The application and the interview will be evaluated by the selection committee, chaired by the guarantor of the PhD program. If accepted for the PhD program, the applicant’s employment on the ERC project will then be confirmed by GAMEINDEX’s PI. 

More information about the admissions process, along with a link to the online application form are available here: https://iksz.fsv.cuni.cz/en/admissions/phd-programme-media-and-communication-studies/how-apply 

When applying, please choose the “combined” rather than “full-time” form of study. For administrative purposes, externally funded full-time PhD students fall under the “combined” form.  

Frequently asked questions:

Can international students apply?
The position is primarily intended for international, meaning non-Czech, students. We are looking for expertise on other countries or regions.

What do you mean by “dissertation project”? How should it relate to GAMEINDEX?
Based on the information about the GAMEINDEX project, you are supposed to come up with your own dissertation project that is in line with our goals, meaning that it studies indexical representation in games from a certain region. You can specify your research question and add your own twists based on your knowledge of a given region or based on your previous work and academic background. When filling in the dissertation project, use this form, as instructed on the “How to apply” page. The form is generic and meant for any applicant into the program. You will be able to elaborate on your project’s relationship to GAMEINDEX in multiple fields of the form.

How should I start consulting my application?
Check the dissertation project form to familiarize yourself with its structure. In line with the instructions within the form, prepare an extended abstract (800 words) of your prospective project. Send the extended abstract to the GAMEINDEX PI Jaroslav Švelch (address below) along with your CV. Prepare the questions you want to ask.

For more information about the positions (including the salary) and GAMEINDEX, please contact Jaroslav Švelch at Jaroslav.Svelch@fsv.cuni.cz.  

To learn more about the doctoral program, please check this webpage: https://iksz.fsv.cuni.cz/en/study/phd-studies. 

Post image is a screenshot taken from Someday You’ll Return Director’s Cut.