PhD Position "On Thirst and Mirage: Rethinking the Desert"

Job description

The majority of the Middle Eastern and North African regions consist of deserts. Deserts are some of the most vulnerable environments, occupying roughly one-fifth of the planet's land surface and hosting around one-sixth of the global population. In scientific classifications, deserts are characterized as hostile environments with low precipitation and rainfall, compatible with how desertūm (Latin) was perceived negatively as deserted, abandoned, barren and empty. These representations justify or hide the often violent [neo-]colonial, extractive and technocratic practices that deserts have been and are subject to, dominating and disrupting the ecological and cultural delicacies of these territories. Aggravated by climate change and forced migrations, this has resulted in the loss of diverse life forms that rely on and sustain deserts, while also leading to the fading of various forms of literacies connected to these life forms regarding how to coexist with and in deserts.

In such a context, water is the most vital element for life which is preciously scarce or hidden in the deserts. This is while currently most of the water sources in MENA desert regions, whether surface or groundwater, are under growing pressure, violated, conflicted or completely vanishing.

This call invites the applicants to investigate the spatialities and materialities of bodies of water in desert areas which are affected by [neo-]colonial, extractive and technocratic operations or have been impacted by border regimes, conflicts and wars, resulting in ecological disjunction and disembodied resource governance and heightened political tension among communities and states. The aim is not only to unpack the complexities behind such processes but also to seek alternative ways of living in the deserts by re-centering indigenous life forms and biota.

While a shift towards plural epistemologies and ontologies is urgently needed to relearn and represent the deserts as concepts, entities, processes and environments, we ask:

1. How could decolonial thinking and indigenous relationalities amongst human and non-human actors afford such shifts in understanding the deserts as multitudes of worlds containing diverse biota, embedded in various ‘cultural imaginaries’ and ‘forms of literacies’?
2. How could the everyday practices associated with indigenous literacies inform us as spatial thinkers to reimagine for alternative ways to continue living in the deserts?
3. What methodological and tangible and intangible material sources ought to be taken into account to restitute the water literacies and water bodies in the deserts?
4. What modes of spatial representations and mappings could be considered when engaging with indigenous cosmovisions?

While architectural discipline may offer valuable insights to such explorations, grounding oneself in relational perspectives and trans-disciplinary border thinking is viewed as crucial. Therefore, the applicants are encouraged to merge conceptual frameworks with detailed case studies to highlight the frequently overlooked indigenous water literacies against the intricate context of environmental degradations, infrastructural developments, and political conflicts in the desert areas of the MENA region.

This call is a follow-up to On Thirst and Mirage: Rethinking the Desert symposium (2025) and research project (2023) that has been carrying on in Borders & Territories Group, at the Architecture Department at TU Delft.


Requirements
For this full-time, fully funded PhD position, we are looking for a highly motivated candidate with:

• A Master degree in architecture, urban studies, environmental humanities or related disciplines with spatial thinking.
• Preferably academic research experience post-Master level.
• Demonstrable affinity with archival sources and field work.
• A creative and independent yet collaborative working attitude.
• Excellent Oral and written proficiency in English and local language(s) of suggested case studies.

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)
Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty Architecture & the Built Environment
The Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment has a leading role in education and research worldwide. The driving force behind the faculty’s success is its robust research profile combined with the energy and creativity of its student body and academic community. It is buzzing with energy, with four thousand people studying, working, designing, conducting research and acquiring and disseminating knowledge. Our faculty has a strong focus on 'design-oriented research’, which has given it a top position in world rankings.

Staff and students are working to improve the built environment with the help of a broad set of disciplines, including architectural design, urban planning, building technology, social sciences, process management, and geo-information science. The faculty works closely with other faculties, universities, private parties, and the public sector, and has an extensive network in the Netherlands as well as internationally.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment.

Conditions of employment
Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from € 2770 per month in the first year to € 3539 in the fourth year. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.

For international applicants, TU Delft has the Coming to Delft Service. This service provides information for new international employees to help you prepare the relocation and to settle in the Netherlands. The Coming to Delft Service offers a Dual Career Programme for partners and they organise events to expand your (social) network.

Additional information
For more information about this vacancy, please contact Dr. Negar Sanaan Bensi, e-mail: N.SanaanBensi@tudelft.nl.

For information about the application procedure, please contact Sofie Hennekens, HR advisor, e-mail: recruitment-BK@tudelft.nl.

We plan to complete the entire selection procedure by February 2026, and aim for March 2026 as starting date of the PhD Project.

Application procedure
Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply before 30 January 2026 (local Dutch time + 2 hrs) via the application button and upload:

• Cover letter (one A4 or US Letter page): elaborate on your personal motivations, interests, and aspirations behind pursuing a PhD degree and describe the qualifications.
• Full CV
• The names and contact details of two references (letters are not required at this stage)
• Research Proposal (+/- 2500 words (exclusive bibliography): the précis should include the following:

1. Provisional Title: this should form a general introduction to the project, framing it conceptually and/or thematically.
2. Abstract: Short summary (300-500 words), including keywords.
3. Question(s)/Hypothesis, Aims and Goals: Clearly and succinctly spell out the question(s) or hypothesis that drive your research and carefully articulate the aims and ambitions of your proposed study.
4. Preliminary outline: describe the overall intended structure of the PhD research and explain how it will address your question(s)/hypothesis.
5. Disciplinary Approach: Introduce your research methodology and position it in its larger disciplinary (or cross/or inter/or trans-disciplinary) framework.
6. Research significance: Explain why this research is relevant and original, and explain its overall contribution to the discourse of architecture.
7. Preliminary Bibliography.

All the above-mentioned items must be consolidated in one PDF file of no more than 30 pages and 20 MB. Please name the PDF file as: Lastname_keyword.pdf (e.g. Smith_Neomodern.pdf).

Doing a PhD at TU delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught doctoral education course, and write research articles and a final dissertation. For more details, please check the Graduate School’s admission requirements.


Please note:

• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post.
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