Wageningen University & Research is looking for a talented and enthusiastic researcher to do a PhD on the governance challenges of tourism in Antarctica.

The PhD project is part of the ANTARC-SHIP project - Fostering environmental stewardship among Antarctic tourism governance actors and institutions - funded through the PT-REPAIR programme of NWO. The consortium is comprised of Wageningen University and Research (WUR), Utrecht University (UU), University of Canterbury (UC) and Lincoln University (LU) in New Zealand, and the Autonomous University of Madrid in Spain. The objective of the ANTARC-SHIP project is to examine to what extent, and how, environmental stewardship can be assessed, enhanced, and facilitated among the different actors and institutions involved in the operation and governance of Antarctic tourism. The ANTARC-SHIP project consists of four sub-projects, each focusing on a different institutional context of environmental stewardship in the Antarctic tourism context: 1) the interrelation between science and tourism, 2) industry self-regulation, 3) gateway cities and 4) international shipping agreements.

This specific PhD project (sub-project 2) focuses on the robustness of the tourism industry's self-regulatory system. Antarctic tourism governance is highly dependent on the sector's ability to set and implement environmental standards. However, the robustness and longevity of self-regulated stewardship cannot be taken for granted. The PhD project aims to 1) analyse the development of tourism self-regulation regarding environmental performance in the Antarctic Treaty System context; 2) examine the position of informational instruments (e.g., reports, communications) in fostering environmental stewardship in the context of self-regulation; 3) simulate the robustness of self-regulated environmental stewardship in the face of internal (e.g., growth and diversification of the sector) and external (e.g., market fluctuations resulting from pandemics, recessions, conflicts) challenges; 4) identify ways to further enhance, operationalize and embed environmental stewardship in the self-regulatory system.

Eligibility criteria
All applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:
We look for talented applicants with

• A Master's degree (completed before starting the PhD) in a relevant social sciences discipline (e.g. sociology, human geography, political science) and/or inter-disciplinary studies;
• A clear interest in inter- or transdisciplinary collaborative research;
• Excellent skills in research methods;
• Excellent skills in stakeholder interaction and scientific writing;
• Demonstrable interest in, and knowledge of, human activities and regulation in the Antarctic context, or relevant fieldwork experience is considered an advantage.

The position is scheduled to commence 1st of March 2023.

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

• 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 € 2.541,- per month rising to € 3.247,- 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 & 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, 7,200 employees (6,400 fte) and 13,200 students and over 150.000 participants to WUR's Life Long Learning, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. The unique Wageningen approach lies in its integrated approach to issues and the collaboration between different disciplines.

Chair group/department
The Environmental Policy Group (ENP) produces fundamental knowledge on different forms of social and political practices and forms of organization that can enable a broad range of societal actors to deal with new and complex environmental risks at global, regional and local scales. More information about the Environmental Policy (ENP) chair group at Wageningen University can be found on https://www.wur.nl/en/Research-Results/Chair-groups/Social-Sciences/Environmental-Policy-Group.htm

Environmental systems analysis (ESA) studies environmental problems by exploring, modelling and communicating their causes, mechanisms, effects and potential solutions. ESA combines quantitative, qualitative and multi- and transdisciplinary research and integrates knowledge from natural, social and engineering sciences. More information about the Environmental System Analysis (ESA) chair group at Wageningen University can be found on https://www.wur.nl/en/Research-Results/Chair-groups/Environmental-Sciences/Environmental-Systems-Analysis-Group.htm

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