Doctoral students in Economic History with a focus on the developing Global South - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Doctoral students in Economic History with a focus on the developing Global South (Africa)

Assigned duties

Those appointed to doctoral studentship shall primarily devote themselves to their studies, aimed to result in a doctoral degree. Work carried out during the studentship consists of participation in research projects as well as successful participation in postgraduate (third-cycle) courses. Those appointed to doctoral studentships may also work, to a limited extent, with educational tasks and administration at the Department of Economic history. However, duties of this kind may not comprise of more than 20 per cent of a full time post.

Eligibility / Admission requirements

A person meets the general admission requirements for third-cycle courses and study programmes if he or she has:

• Been awarded a second-cycle degree; or
• Satisfied the requirements for courses comprising of at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second-cycle; or
• Acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad.

(Higher Education Ordinance, Chapter 7, Section 39)

Specific admission requirements for doctoral studies in each subject are specified in the relevant general syllabus, available at http://staff.lusem.lu.se/phd-studies/phd-programmes.

Other requirements

A proficient level of English is required in both written and oral communication.

Basis of assessment

Admittance of a doctoral student is based on an assessment of the candidate’s ability to benefit from third-cycle studies.

The applicant’s ability to benefit from third-cycle studies and research will be assessed with reference to the selection criteria stated in the relevant general syllabus for third-cycle studies, available at http://staff.lusem.lu.se/phd-studies/phd-programmes.

Applicant’s general competence:

• Quality and content of previous written work, such as a Master’s thesis.
• Ability to participate actively in the Department’s research environment.
• Ability to perform independent work.
• Relevant educational background and grades/grade average.
• Relevant work experience.

Scientific quality of the applicant’s project description:

• Ability to describe, question and discuss the current state of research.
• Sufficient clarity and logical coherence in the formulation of the aim and the research questions.
• Stringency of reasoning and analysis.
• Adequate selection of theory and methods.

Projects

Two research projects are recruiting one PhD candidate each. Both projects deal with long-term processes of economic change in Africa. The projects are:

African Elites: Wealth Accumulation and Persistence

The primary focus is the analysis of the development of African elites in the informal (agrarian) sector. It is building on a previous project where we estimated income levels and groups size for income classes. Now we move forward explaining drivers of long-term trends of wealth accumulation, specifically the nexus between elites, colonial policies and commercialization. We also pursue the issue of how the elites fared after independence and the extent to which they have continued to shape African economies.

Is Africa growing out of poverty? A comparative historical inquiry

Are current high economic growth rates in several African countries a sign that parts of Africa is growing out of poverty? Economic historians have shown that the current economic boom is not unique. Africa has experienced several longer periods of economic growth in the 20th century. These booms were followed by longer periods of economic stagnation. Why were previous booms not sustained? There are important historical lessons to learn from past failures. We hypothesis that the failed booms were due to weak intra- and inter-sectoral linkages between the export and the domestic sectors. We move on and compare the historical studies with current cases to identify similarities and differences in terms of linkages. The comparison will enable us to contribute to the debate on Africa’s economic future.

Terms of employment

Fixed-term employment, maximum four years (fulltime studies).

Only those admitted to third-cycle courses and study programmes at a higher education may be appointed to doctoral .

For regulations concerning employment of doctoral students etc, see the Higher Education Ordinance, Chapter 5, Sections 1-7.

For regulations concerning admission to third-cycle courses and study programs, see the Higher Education Ordinance, Chapter 5, Sections 34-41.

Application procedure

Please use Lund University job application portal when applying: http://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/about/work-at-lund-university

The application must be written in English.

The application should contain:

• Personal letter in which the applicant gives a short description of him/herself and his/her research interests.
• Curriculum vitae.
• Grade transcripts.
• Master thesis or similar degree projects.
• Project plan/description (maximum 1 500 words not including references).
• If appropriate, documented language skills relevant for third-cycle studies.
• Other documents that the applicant wishes to submit.

The applicant is encouraged to name a maximum of two teachers or researchers who can give recommendation letters, but we do not consider recommendation letters with the application.

Lund University welcomes applicants with diverse backgrounds and experiences. We regard gender equality and diversity as a strength and asset.

Contact

Director of doctoral studies, Professor Astrid Kander 046-2227483, astrid.kander@ekh.lu.se

Number of positions

2

Planned starting date of the position

2019-09-01

Remarks

We kindly ask staffing companies and companies dealing with job advertising to refrain from contacting us, as we are bound by contracts within the Governmental system.

The English version of this announcement is an interpretation of national formalities expressed in the Swedish text. In case of uncertainties, the Swedish text applies.