Job - Ph.D. Position

Description

Jatropha is a  plant  that is promoted as a new, alternative biofuel crop. Its introduction in Indonesia by private and public actors is supported by new policies and regulation,  but  also evokes protests and conflicts.  Controversial issues on jatropha include its environmental sustainability, and questions whether land for jatropha is available and can be classified as ‘marginal’, how jatropha cultivation can be balanced with food production, rights of laborers and small holders, and how water resources of the local population can be protected. The answers are partly context specific, partly a matter of nation-wide regulation.  This PhD research is a combination of social science and law, including empirical research on  practical consequences of jatropha projects and perspectives and interests of various types of actors involved. Aims of this PhD research are to create an overview of laws and policies pertaining to jatropha, analyze their implementation and effects in practice,  indicate gaps in this legal framework and identifying dispute resolution mechanisms around the jatropha commodity chain. Field research is planned in two sites, in the provinces Central Kalimantan and  Eastern Nusa Tenggara.

Starting date: 1 May 2010.

This is a PhD position in the research cluster "JARAK: the commoditization of an alternative biofuel crop in Indonesia". The interdisciplinary cluster team will conduct research on policy, legislation, technical crop qualities and production possibilities, and on the socio-economic impact of Jatropha cultivation in Indonesia. It  is part of a broader research program funded by NWO and KNAW on “Agriculture beyond Food”. The cluster includes 6 projects carried out by two Post-Doc researchers and four PhD researchers from Indonesia and the Netherlands. JARAK is a joint activity of 5 Dutch academic institutes with their Indonesian partner institutes. Three other PhD positions (international scholarships) for this program are open at Wageningen UR, the Institute of Cultural Anthropology of the Leiden University’s Social Science Faculty and at Universitas Gadjah Mada in Yogyakarta

Tasks

• To engage in supervised scientific research that will ultimately result in a doctoral thesis;
• To carry out a systematic literature analysis related to the relevant PhD; 
• To conduct field research in Indonesia;
• To prepare and submit research output for publication in peer-reviewed international scientific journals;
• To participate in the other activities of the Van Vollenhoven Institute in Leiden.
• To assist the program coordinator.

• Master degree in law and/or social sciences, with demonstrated interest in law, governance and development
• Excellent writing and presentation skills in English; good command of Bahasa Indonesia is desirable;
• Demonstrated research experience
• Ability and willingness to carry out empirical research and stay for extended periods in Indonesia;
• Keen interest in interdisciplinary socio-legal research methods and approaches;
• Ability to work in a team and willingness to support other activities of the Van Vollenhoven Institute; .

Successful applicants will be appointed for a period of one year with an extension of three years after positive evaluation of capabilities and compatibility. The gross monthly salary will be in accordance with the Collective Agreement of Dutch Universities for academic personnel, and will range from € 2.042,- per month in the first year, gradually rising to € 2.612,- in the final year.