The Postgraduate Directorate at The St. Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT) invites an excellent and motivated candidate for a doctoral position in climate policies and socio-economic and cultural context analysis. The position is part of the DANIDA-funded research project “Charcoal Conflict in Climate Change’s Decarbonization Dilemmas: Knots of Livelihood, Nutrition, Communities, Gender, Migration and Energy in East Africa”. The position is for 4 years, to be filled by November 26th 2023 and will go up to 30th November 2027.
The Project explores the conflict potential in green transitions in Uganda and Tanzania, with a special attention to the ways charcoal is embedded in local communities and therefore tied up with food, health, gender, youth, migration, ethnic relations and the informal economy. Local level field work in select regions within the two countries is connected to on the one hand analyses of the political and legal frameworks in the two countries and on the other hand the global climate management regime, formal and informal, that increasingly puts also low-emission countries under pressure.
The advertised position will principally contribute to the in-depth analysis of the socio-economic and cultural context of charcoal value chains as part of the project, developing her/his original analysis somewhere in the terrain mapped out by 4 key areas: i) social concerns (gender, livelihood, health, nutrition, social relations, cultural identities) attached to charcoal production and consumption implicated by climate change dilemma and examine how each emerged and is playing out in the local context, ii) social conflicts generated by changes in the charcoal value chain, how the greening of or move away from charcoal and the conflicts and dilemmas this can cause amidst actors in climate change dynamics at the local level, and identify the main types of conflicts intensified by energy transitions with particular attention to micro-dynamics around food, informal economy, culture, migration, gender and youth, iii) Coping/responses emergening to the charcoal transition complexities, iv) Comparisons of local responses to charcoal transitions to global climate change and decarbonization trends.
This will happen in close collaboration with the research teams in Denmark, Tanzania and Uganda which include postdoc and senior scholars.
The project is a collaboration between three partners: The Human Rights and Peace Centre (HURIPEC) a semi- autonomous Department under the School of Law at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda; The Directorate of Research, Innovations and Community Engagement (DRICE) at The St. Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT), a private university in Mwanza, Tanzania, contributing expertise in health, gender and peace studies; The Centre for Resolution of International Conflicts (CRIC) at the Department of Political Science, University of Copenhagen, a hub for peace and conflict research in Denmark.
Duties and Responsibilities
The PhD candidate is expected to:
- Develop an independent research project that covers the global-to-local level terrain of the project in a way that productively supports the overarching project and the other sub-projects.
- Participate actively in the development of the charcoal conflict project and its academic activities, including collaborate in refining the project design and methodology and further developing the theoretical framework.
- Prepare and participate in joint publications and workshops and help make an impact on the scholarly and public debate on global climate politics and (in)justice.
- Travel to Uganda and Denmark for annual retreats, participate in field trips and possibly stay for some periods at partner universities.
- Contribute to and benefit from the flourishing intellectual life of the funded project.
- Assist the Directorate of Research, Innovations and Community Engagement in carrying out administrative and coordination duties associated with the project, including interim reporting to DANIDA, co-organisation of workshops, the project website and starting new initiatives.
- Assist one of the lecturers in some project related courses at SAUT corresponding to a co-financing from the department of one of the four years of the study.
Competencies and Opportunities
The candidate must have obtained a Masters degree in Development Studies, International Relations, Political Science, Geography, Mass Communication, Sociology or related disciplines. The applicant should preferably have proven research experience and academic publications in the area of international climate politics.
Other possible qualifications include:
- A good grasp of relevant academic literature.
- Strong academic writing skills.
- The ability to work independently as well as collaborate with other members of a research team.
- An ability to work across disciplines and in an international context.
What the position offers
The position offers attractive possibilities for the candidate, including:
- Being part of an ambitious team that aims to produce high quality research with serious policy relevance.
- The opportunity to develop an independent research agenda within the overall project.
- Being part of a strong research environment within the Directorate of Research, Innovations and Community Engagement.
- Get the opportunity to see typical Northern research agendas challenged by excellent scholars from East Africa.
- Develop teaching competences.
- Funding for participation on project relevant conferences.
Terms of Employment
- Further information on qualification requirements as a PhD candidate can be found on the University website: https://oas.saut.ac.tz/index.php/login/
- SAUT wishes to encourage everyone interested in this post to apply, regardless of personal background The Recruitment Process
After the expiry of the deadline for applications, applicants are selected for assessment on the advice of the Appointment Committee. All applicants are then immediately notified whether an expert committee has passed their application for assessment. Selected applicants are notified of the composition of the committee and each applicant has the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant him/herself.
An Equal Opportunity Workplace
SAUT is committed in its pursuit of academic excellence to equality of opportunity and to creating an inclusive working environment and therefore encourages all qualified candidates to apply, regardless of personal background, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, ethnicity etc.
Contact Information
Information about the recruitment process is available from the Directorate of Postgraduate Studies Your application must be written in English and include the following documents:
- A short motivation letter (maximum 2 pages), including a brief description of your main research areas and methodological competence.
- Curriculum vitae, including education, work/research experience, language skills and other skills and experiences relevant for the position.
- Bachelor’s and Master’s degree, with a GPA of least 3.0.
- A 5 page research proposal (note this is potentially the most important component, in contrast to traditions in some other disciplines and other countries, so please do present your own ideas here, not only those of the general project).
The closing date for applications is 26 November 2023 23:59 EAT
Applications or enclosures received thereafter will not be considered.
For further information, please contact: postgraduatestudies@saut.ac.tz
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