PhD Scholarship in Disaster Management, Copenhagen
Closing Date: Friday, 23 October 2009
More jobs by tag: Climate Change; Data Collection; Disaster Management; Disaster Risk Reduction; Human Security; Political Science; Professional Associations; Sustainable Development; Water Quality; Water and Sanitation
University of Copenhagen
Cross-faculty school under the University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Closing date: 23 Oct 2009
Location: Denmark - Copenhagen
Copenhagen School of Global Health
Tenure: Three years
Deadline for applications: 23 October 2009
The Centre for Advanced Security Theory (CAST), Copenhagen School of Global Health and Oresund Center for Disaster Research at the Faculty of Health Sciences is offering one PhD scholarship to commence 15 November or as soon as possible thereafter. The position is offered for a period of three years.
The PhD scholarship is 100 % funded by CAST.
It is a pre-requisite that the PhD candidate is enrolled as PhD student at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, at the Copenhagen Graduate School of Health Sciences in accordance to the provision of Executive Order no. 18 of 14 January 2008 regarding the PhD degree. It is recommended that the application for enrolment be submitted once the reply regarding the granting of the fellowship is available.
Background:
CAST is a research centre under the University's excellence programme, placed at the Department of Political Science. It aims to bring together researchers from a wide range of disciplines to explore, compare and refine the methods, concepts and principles, each discipline uses in assessing its kind of threats, dangers and risks.
The Oresund Center for Disaster research, a joint center between Lund University and University of Copenhagen, is to provide some of the theoretical background used in the teaching on the Master of Disaster Management www.mdma.ku. dk. This PhD student will act as a bridge builder between the two initiatives. Main supervisor will be from the Faculty of Health Sciences and co- supervisor will be from the Department of Geography and Geology.
The Copenhagen School of Global Health aim to coordinate and improve health research and training at the University of Copenhagen, in collaboration with local and global partners
Description of the field of study:
The candidate will focus on flooding as a consequence of climate change and the associated increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. He/she will carry out a comparative study of current and emerging patterns of vulnerability and adaptive capacity, in communities faced with problems related to water quality, sanitation and hygiene resulting from flooding. The research will be carried out in two or three countries (possibly Vietnam, Bangladesh, Mozambique and/or others). The extent to which these problems may be considered threats to 'security' will be studied along with the implications of their 'securitization' . The study will involve both a literature review as well as primary data collection in each country studied.
The candidate should undertake some of the following tasks, with special emphasis on water and sanitation, although the exact definition and design of the project will be up to the candidate:
- Investigate the current and emerging risks resulting from flooding.
- Critically examine, evaluate and if needed expand, the current used models of analyzing vulnerability and adaptive capacity in the face of climate change.
- Analyze contextual factors influencing vulnerability and adaptive capacity, including physical/environmen tal, social/cultural, economic and political factors that can influence human security and related risks.
- Analyze whether, how and why these risks have been defined as security issues in a more traditional sense by the nation state in case or by other countries or international organisations - and if so with what effects.
- Examine linkages within the conceptual frameworks of disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, sustainable development and policies of security.
- Suggest means by which disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and sustainable development practitioners - and possibly other agencies - can better coordinate across disciplines.
Qualifications:
- Candidates are required to have a master degree in disaster management or equivalent.
- Strong motivation and excellent scientific skills are essential.
- Prior experience in international disaster management is an advantage.
- Good communication skills, both oral and written.
- Demonstrate enthusiasm, motivation, flexibility and confidence.
Employment conditions:
Employment is for a three-year period and is governed by the Protocol on PhD Research Fellows signed by the Danish Ministry of Finance and AC (the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations) on 1 October 2008, enclosure 5. PhD fellows are covered by the regulations pertaining to 'new salaries' for public employees and the salary is therefore subject to individual negotiation. The PhD fellow is obliged to carry out - without additional pay - allocated teaching-related tasks, etc. of up to 840 working hours during their period of employment.
The PhD candidate will be expected, over the three-year period, to acquire experience in teaching or other types of presentations. The tentative start date is 15 November 2009 or soon thereafter.
The PhD scholarships are subject to academic approval in accordance with Executive Order no. 284 of 25 April 2008 regarding employment of teachers and scientific staff at universities, etc. under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation Applicants will be informed of the composition of the committee. The Executive Order is available at www.ku.dk/regel.
Useful links:
http://mdma. ku.dk/
http://cast. ku.dk/
http://globalhealth .ku.dk/
How to apply
For further information, please contact Peter Kjær Mackie Jensen: +45 35327688 or petkj@sund.ku. dk,
Your application marked "PhD stipend Disaster Management" including a CV and master's degree as well as names and contact details of referees must be sent to the MDMa by 23 October 2009. Your application should be sent by e-mail to petkj@sund.ku. dk
We encourage all interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, race, religion or ethnic background to apply for the position.
Reference Code: RW_7WDE2S-50
Source: Reliefweb
