Scholarship
University of Basel Center for African Studies PhD Scholarships 2022
University of Basel Center for African Studies PhD Scholarships 2022. Apply Below!
When is the application deadline?
May 31, 2022
Tell me about the University of Basel Center for African Studies PhD Scholarships:
The Center for African Studies at the University of Basel is calling for applications for two doctoral positions in social anthropology or African studies for a period of three years, funded by the Humer Foundation for Academic Talent.
Over the past three decades, both in Africa and elsewhere, the effects of urbanization and market liberalisation, emerging forms of value production, consumption and social reproduction, and shifting forms of governance have also led to new forms of mobility and migration. For many, sexuality was central to devising and realizing migration processes. Sexual economies in major metropolitan areas and tourist resorts attract young people with the option of quick wealth, conspicuous consumption or travel abroad. Gays and sex workers often move as migrants or refugees to places where they hope to gain access to public health or sexual rights advocacy groups. Meanwhile, NGOs, religious organizations and state officials are trying to address the myriad social, medical and moral implications of these various forms of sexualized mobility. As eroded goods and media circulate more widely in African markets, members of a growing middle class are also traveling domestically and abroad, engaging in humanitarianism, consumption or religious reforms centered on sexuality.
This research initiative examines relatively different forms of movement that produce and deploy racialized and/or ethnically oriented sexuality as central means of consumption fantasies, forms of value production, disciplinary regimes and strategies for investment in the future. Exploring the implications of new forms of sexualized mobility for gender, kinship and domesticity; money and the moralization of wealth; ritual and religion; increasing forms of moral securitization and militarization; and new forms of consumption, embodiment, style and self-creation, this project takes sexuality as a key domain for understanding the politics of contemporary mobility and its continuity and discontinuity with colonial discourse and practice, both on the African continent and between Africa and the wide world.
With a central focus on the role sexuality plays in facilitating movement, PhD students will contribute to a growing anthropological literature on global migrations and, more specifically, to the science of African migrations on the continent and beyond. Candidates are expected to conduct rigorous, in-depth studies of cases of sexualized mobility in a given range of contexts. They should develop an in-depth understanding of the historical, social and political places where they do fieldwork, preferably already speak the local language, and pursue ethnographic research in a way that is rich, imaginative and driven by sharp conceptual questions.
Your position
The scholarship will enable you to develop your research question and methodological framework, conduct research, analyze your data and write your thesis within the framework of the Basel Graduate Network African Studies and the Graduate School of Social Sciences G3S under the supervision of Prof. . dr. George Paul Meiu (Social Anthropology). During a period of three years you can fully concentrate on your research project.
What kind of scholarship is this?
PhD
Who can apply for University of Basel Center for African Studies PhD Scholarships?
Applicants
have an excellent master’s degree or equivalent qualification in social anthropology or a related discipline; present an original idea for a research project related to sexuality, mobility and political economy; have very good research and writing skills; are fully committed to their PhD project during the funding period and aim to complete their project within the stated period; meet the requirements for admission to doctoral studies at the University of Basel.
Where will the prize be won?
University of Basel.
How many scholarships are given?
2
What is the benefit of University of Basel Center for African Studies PhD Scholarships?
We offer an international, multidisciplinary working environment and excellent research infrastructure and a workplace in the heart of Basel. The reimbursement will take place according to the guidelines of the University of Basel.
How long does the program last?
3 years
How to Apply for a University of Basel Center for African Studies PhD Scholarships?
Your application includes:
1. a motivation letter (maximum two pages);
2. a curriculum vitae (maximum two pages and possibly a list of publications);
3. a short proposal (1500-2500 words) on sexuality, mobility and political economy.
4. copies of undergraduate and postgraduate diplomas, complete with transcripts (please note that the overall mark for the master’s degree is relevant for admission);
5. the contact details of two referees (professors or lecturers);
6. one or two writing examples (including master’s thesis or equivalent).
Submit your application as PDF files using the University of Basel online recruitment tool only.
For more information, visit our website: https://zasb.unibas.ch or contact Prof. dr. George Paul Meiu [email protected]
The application deadline is May 31, 2022.
Visit the Award webpage for details
