PhD : Urban growth, mobility and livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa

Loughborough University -Department of Geography

A fully funded PhD studentship is available in the Department of Geography, Loughborough University under the auspices of the EU-FP7 project ‘African Rural-City Connections’ (RurbanAfrica). The studentship offers an exciting opportunity to become part of a large team consisting of European partners based in Denmark, the Netherlands and France, and African partners from Ghana, Cameroon, Rwanda and Tanzania. The overall objective of the project is to explore the connections between rural transformations, mobility and urbanization processes and analyse how these contribute to an understanding of the scale, nature and location of poverty in sub-Saharan Africa. The PhD studentship falls within work package 3 ‘City Dynamics’ and will involve researching urban growth, mobility and livelihoods in one or more cities, probably in Ghana but potentially in another of the project countries. An extended period of time will be spent collecting quantitative and qualitative data in the selected city/cities. The primary supervisor will be Prof. Katherine Gough based in the Department of Geography, Loughborough University.

Funding and eligibility

The studentship is open to graduates with a geography or related social science background. The minimum entry qualification is a 2.1 Honours degree or equivalent. A lower qualification is acceptable if supplemented with an appropriate postgraduate (MA/MSc) qualification and relevant experience.

The studentship is for 3 years and covers fees and a tax-exempt stipend of £13,726 for the 2013/2014 academic year with cost of living adjustments in years 2 and 3. Tuition fees will be paid at the UK/EU rate.

Loughborough University

Voted Sunday Times 'University of the Year' 2008-2009, winner of The Times Higher 'Best Student Experience' poll for five years running (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010) and with over 3,200 staff and in excess of 16,000 students, Loughborough University is one of the top 20 Universities in the UK. The University has an impressive and pleasant campus in the heart of the East Midlands - the largest single site campus in the UK. Its world-class sports and educational facilities, combined with its lively, diverse student community, make it a great place to study, socialise and play.

As part of a large, growing and supportive research community, the successful candidate will benefit from being a member of the University’s Graduate School and their extensive and targeted skills training for research students. The successful candidate will be joining a lively community of research students and staff, where doctoral students are given substantial academic and administrative support, and are an integral part of the School's research culture.

Additional Information Applications can be made on-line through the Apply link below. For informal discussion on the subject area, please contact Prof. Katherine Gough k.v.gough@lboro.ac.uk See also the project websitehttp://geo.ku.dk/rurbanafrica/

For enquiries about the application process, please contact Ms Susan Clarke, s.n.clarke@lboro.ac.uk   

Closing date for applications: 3 June 2013.