ESRC Doctoral Studentships in European Area Studies: Convergence and Divergence in Central and Eastern Europe (PhD Studentship)
Reference Number: R942
Key Studentship Information
Project Title: European Area Studies - Convergence and Divergence in Central and Eastern Europe
Project Description: The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funded Wales Doctoral Training Centre (DTC) is offering an opportunity for a PhD student to undertake comparative research and develop expertise into Central and Eastern Europe, by examining the responses of two or more of the Visegrad states (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia) to the financial and economic crisis since 2007.
The studentship is offered on a 1 + 3 basis. The first year will involve the successful candidate undertaking the Area Studies pathway of the Social Science Research Methods MSc. Years two to four will involve close supervision by a supervisory team in the School of European Languages, Translation and Politics, where the studentship will be based. The studentship will involve acquiring language skills in at least one of the relevant languages. The studentship will help build expertise in research on the new EU Member States, which remains undeveloped. The successful candidate will be in a strong position to develop an academic career and will be closely mentored to enhance the prospects of such a career. While at Cardiff, they will benefit from a mixture of generic and subject specific training opportunities and be integrated into the activities of the Language-Based Area Studies pathway of the DTC. The successful student will also be fully involved with the activities of the European Governance, Identity and Public Policy Research Unit, co-chaired by Kenneth Dyson and Alistair Cole of Cardiff University.
The studentship will assess patterns of convergence and divergence in adjustment pressures, institutional arrangements, policy processes, substantive policies, and outcomes, and reflect on the implications for theories of differentiated integration and of political economy. It will also shed light on crisis management outside the Euro Area states in these cases and offer the opportunity to ask whether, as a Euro Area Member State, Slovakia is more divergent. The research will be comparative, covering fiscal institutions and policies, financial market supervision and regulation, labour markets/wages/employment policies, social policies, or sub-national governance in at least two states. The PhD will help develop research links with the Central European University (CEU) in Budapest and build on the earlier British Academy funded research and book project Which Europe? The Politics of Differentiated Integration (Palgrave 2010), involving Cole, Dyson, Furlong, and Parsons (Cardiff) and Greskovits (CEU). The studentship will also offer the opportunity to spend time in the Central European University.
Supervisors: Professor Kenneth Dyson and Dr Nick Parsons
Funding
This studentship is generously funded in by the ESRC (80%), in conjuction with the School of European Languges, Translation and Politics (20%). The studentship consists of UK/EU fees, and Doctoral Stipend matching UK Research Council National Minimum (£13,590 p.a. for 2012/13, updated each year). An additional allowance of £350 p.a. will be made available for conferences, travel allowances and research material.
Eligibility
Academic Criteria: The normal requirement for admission to research programmes in the School is a 2:1 degree award, or the overseas equivalent, in a relevant subject. No Masters degree is required.
However, we consider all individual applicants on their specific merits. If you do not have the standard qualifications for the course you may still apply and your application will be considered. (Interviews may be conducted to identify and assess the academic merit of prospective students.)
Residency: Full awards (fees plus maintenance stipend) are open to UK Nationals and EU students who can satisfy UK residency requirements. To be eligible for the full award, EU Nationals must have been in the
How to Apply
To make an application, in the first instance please complete the application form available through our School's webpages. Following this initial correspondence, applicants may need to submit a full application for a PhD programme in the School of European Languages, Translation and Politics using Cardiff's Online Application Service.
Application Deadline: 15th April 2013, 17.00.
Further Information
For further information, please contact Rachel Davies at Europ-pg-admissions@Cardiff.ac.uk.
