PhD Scholarships – China’s Water Management – UMelb

The School of Geography at the University of Melbourne is advertising PhD scholarships and field work grants for students interested in writing theses on aspects of water management in China — specifically the South-North Water Transfer Project and the interactions between water management in China and the country’s neighbours.

 

1. PhD scholarships and field work grants: China’s water management and its international neighbours

The School of Geography at the University of Melbourne is seeking PhD candidates to conduct research on the spilling over of China’s water management onto its international neighbours, such as Mongolia and the countries of South-east Asia.

A research group within the School includes Jon Barnett, Brian Finlayson, Vanessa Lamb, Sarah Rogers, Ian Rutherfurd, Mark Wang and Michael Webber, together with collaborators in Hohai University (Nanjing) and Arizona State University (Phoenix). This group is conducting research on the environmental and socio-political aspects of China’s water management practices as they affect or occur in neighbouring countries. We are a group of broadly trained geographers, specialising in environmental (fluvial geomorphology and hydrology) and social-political-economic geography (political ecology, political economics, hydropolitics, technopolitics and cross-border flows).

The School is offering scholarships and generous field work and conference-attendance grants to appropriate candidates who are interested in writing PhD theses on these topics. The University provides its own scholarship program as well as having agreements with a number of international sponsors (such as China Scholarship Council, Vietnam International Education Development). Subject to satisfactory progress, the scholarship and grants are for 3.5 years. Successful applicants will have a first class honours degree or a masters degree in geography or closely allied discipline, or they will be in the final year of a program that is expected to deliver that qualification. Evidence of research experience is desirable. Ability to speak and read Mandarin or another appropriate language would be a distinct advantage.

The School of Geography at the University of Melbourne is by most counts Australia’s premier geography department. The members of this research group include senior members of the School as well as more junior academic staff. The group has had a long-standing (dating from the early 2000s) program of research into society – water relationships within China, the results of which have been published in leading international scientific and social scientific journals. The research group has been supported by two major ARC projects as well as a host of smaller grants. The research group has strong collaborative relations with several government departments and universities in China.

For more information and to initiate a discussion about an application with the most appropriate members of this research group, contact Michael Webber on mjwebber@unimelb.edu.au. Include a CV, an example of your written work, any relevant transcripts, and up to a page describing your suggested research topic and perspective. The deadline for application for admission is October 2017; individual scholarship programs set their own application dates, though the University’s scholarships should be applied for at the same time as admission. You should express your interest as soon as possible, and be in a position to complete formal application processes no later than September 1, 2017, because places are allocated on a first come, first served basis for qualified candidates.

 

2. PhD scholarships and field work grants – China’s South-North Water Transfer Project

The School of Geography at the University of Melbourne is seeking PhD candidates to conduct research on China’s South-North Water Transfer project.

A research group within the School includes Jon Barnett, Brian Finlayson, Sarah Rogers, Ian Rutherfurd, Mark Wang and Michael Webber, together with collaborators in Hohai University (Nanjing) and Arizona State University (Phoenix). This group has been awarded a large ARC Discovery grant to study aspects of China’s South-North Water Transfer Project. The SNWT Project is the largest inter-basin transfer program in the world, involving several mega-cities, dozens of smaller cities, a host of provincial-level administrations, and the resettlement of over 300 000 people. It has been plagued with issues of cost and pollution. We are a group of broadly trained geographers, specialising in environmental (fluvial geomorphology and hydrology) and social-political-economic geography (political ecology, political economics, hydropolitics, technopolitics and cross-border flows).

The School is offering scholarships and generous field work and conference-attendance grants to appropriate candidates who are interested in writing PhD theses on a topic related to the SNWT Project. The University provides its own scholarship program as well as having agreements with a number of international sponsors (such as China Scholarship Council, Vietnam International Education Development). Subject to satisfactory progress, the scholarship and grants are for 3.5 years. Successful applicants will have a first class honours degree or a masters degree in geography or closely allied discipline, or they will be in the final year of a program that is expected to deliver that qualification. Evidence of research experience is desirable. Ability to speak and read Mandarin would be a distinct advantage.

The School of Geography at the University of Melbourne is by most counts Australia’s premier geography department. The members of this research group include senior members of the School as well as more junior academic staff. The group has had a long-standing (dating from the early 2000s) program of research into society – water relationships within China, the results of which have been published in leading international scientific and social scientific journals. The research group has been supported by two major ARC projects as well as a host of smaller grants. The research group has strong collaborative relations with several government departments and universities in China.

For more information and to initiate a discussion about an application with the most appropriate members of this research group, contact Michael Webber on mjwebber@unimelb.edu.au. Include a CV, an example of your written work, any relevant transcripts, and up to a page describing your suggested research topic and perspective. The deadline for application for admission is October 2017; individual scholarship programs set their own application dates, though the University’s scholarships should be applied for at the same time as admission. You should express your interest as soon as possible, and be in a position to complete formal application processes no later than September 1, 2017, because places are allocated on a first come, first served basis for qualified candidates.