The Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO) and Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), both in Halle (Saale), Germany, in conjunction with Samarkand Agricultural University (SamAI) in Uzbekistan as well as the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) in Almaty, Kazakhstan, announce the establishment of an innovative
Structured Doctoral Programme on “Sustainable Agricultural Development in Central Asia” (SUSADICA)
that is financially supported by the Volkswagen Foundation in Germany and the Ministry of Innovative Development as well as the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The academic consortium invites applications for
10 PhD positions in the areas of agricultural economics, development studies and geography (m/f)
for 36 months periods. Extension by another 12 months is optional and conditional on performance. Expected starting date is by 1 October 2018 or as soon as positions are filled.
Given the fundamental importance of agriculture for sustainable development in Central Asia, the SUSADICA Doctoral Programme pursues cutting edge research on the three dimensions of economic, social and ecological sustainability and creates a challenging, collaborative research environment for doctoral researchers based in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The Programme intends to act as a model for higher standards of doctoral education, international networking and academic output for other disciplines and universities throughout Central Asia. Current research areas include (1) farm restructuring & labour relations, (2) agricultural innovation & technology, (3) agricultural policy, (4) environmental change & agriculture, and (5) water governance.
Students will spend approximately half of each year in Germany and the other half in Central Asia. During their time in Germany, students work with their German supervisors on their research concept and receive intensive training in relevant theories and methods. During their time in Central Asia, they will conduct field research in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan or Uzbekistan, participate in selected training modules or outreach events and contribute to academic life at SamAI in Samarkand.
MLU is the principal alma mater for the PhD students in Germany, and SamAI for the PhD students in Uzbekistan. All students are expected to achieve a level of sophistication that allows them to successfully pass a doctoral defence in Germany. All students will report to a supervisor based at one of the German partner institutions. The most suitable formal supervision arrangement will be determined on an individual basis.
Closing date for the application is 31 July 2018. Please note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interview via email.