Do you have a background in human geography, political science, anthropology or a related social science field, and do you want to join an exciting new project on 'Climate Mobility in the Borderlands'? Its core objective is to offer an in-depth and interdisciplinary study of the interplay between climate change and regional borderlands - their history, politics, social relations and drivers of mobility - in shaping cross-border human mobility. Understanding the historical and social nature of mobility avoids assuming climate change-related mobility is per se "new" and "exceptional". Instead, this project aims to uncover how cross-border climate mobility is rooted in mobility histories, contexts and understandings. The project is funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO).

There are 2 positions available within this project:
PhD1: Climate mobility in the West-African borderlands
PhD2: Climate mobility in the Bengal and Pacific borderlands
This advert concerns the second position. For the first, please click here

PhD2: You will conduct research on the relation between climate change and patterns of mobility in the Bengal borderlands (Sunderban region, West-Bengal and Khulna) and in the Pacific Borderlands (Tuvalu, Australia). It is important to highlight there are clear differences between the two borderlands, making it vital for the PhD project to research the case-studies in their own right. This PhD project will also examine the connections, mainly in examining the ways in which (international) governance or state agencies, NGOs and funders working on climate change and mobility shape and govern local livelihoods and discourses on climate mobility in the Bengal and Pacific borderlands, and in turn how local communities in these regions respond to (e.g. challenge, reframe, join) these influences of governance. Each case contains about 9 months of fieldwork and knowledge utilization activities in the areas of research; although adjustments to the work plan may be made in the context of the pandemic. You will be based at the Environmental Policy Group (ENP) at Wageningen University, and will work in collaboration with the Calcutta Research Group (India), the United International University (Bangladesh), the University of Melbourne (Australia), and Deltares (The Netherlands).

More information on the project
Climate Mobility in the Borderlands is a 5-year research program funded by the Netherlands Scientific Organisation (NWO)'s Vidi program, led by Dr. Ingrid Boas (PI). Its objective is to examine the nexus between climate change and human mobility in borderland contexts. The project will focus on communities who have historically been mobile in relation to environmental challenges. Think of pastoralists or nomadic fishers, or people living in dynamic deltas. We aim to uncover how their mobility is being affected by climate change. Is climate change disrupting or changing their mobility patterns and if so, how? How do the historical and socio-cultural ways of moving intersect with these dynamics? And how does this play out in settings of cross-border movement and border controls? How is the relation between climate change and mobility mediated by the drivers, politics and history of the borderlands in question? The project will centralize the lived experiences and perspectives of those moving, both through participatory mobile/visual methods and collaborative forms of knowledge utilization. In collaboration with Deltares, we will also use interdisciplinary tools to identify the role of climate change in accounts of mobility.

You have

• a successfully completed Master's in human/social geography, political science, anthropology, sociology or a related field;
• a collaborative and team-oriented attitude, with an open mind for other scientific approaches and forms of knowledge. You will for instance work with the PI and Deltares using climate change data to complement ethnographic fieldwork, or will work with migrants in knowledge utilization activities;
• experience in ethnographic types of field research, also using visual methods, is preferred;
• experience in scientific publishing is preferred;
• knowledge of the borderland context is preferred. This may include proven connections or research experience in one of the regions/countries of research, and language skills fitting the communities in question;
• excellent English language proficiency (a minimum of CEFR C2 level). For more information about this proficiency level, please visit our special language page.

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• sabbatical leave, study leave, and partially paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• the option to accrue additional compensation / holiday hours by working more, up to 40 hours per week;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed December bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team.
The gross salary for the first year is € 2.434,- per month rising to € 3.111,- in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well.

There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a unique position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland, and at a university that has been chosen as the "Best University" in the Netherlands for the 17th consecutive time.

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees. Applicants from abroad moving to the Netherlands may qualify for a special tax relief, known as the 30% ruling. Our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.

Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. Wageningen University & Research's International Community page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees and students coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, we can assist you with any additional advice and information about helping your partner to find a job, housing, schooling, and other issues.

Wageningen University & Research

The mission of Wageningen University and Research is "To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life". Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment.

With its roughly 30 branches, 6.800 employees and 12.900 students, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. An integrated approach to problems and the cooperation between various disciplines are at the heart of Wageningen's unique approach. WUR has been named Best Employer in the Education category for 2019-2020.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch this video to get an idea of our green campus!