Doctoral and Research Positions at the National Institute of Advanced Studies

The National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) is a multidisciplinary research institute located in Bangalore. We are looking for two Ph.D. students and one senior researcher to work in a new research programme of the School of Social Sciences, entitled ‘Provincial Globalisation: The Impact of Reverse Transnational Flows in India’s Regional Towns’. This is an international collaborative programme of the Amsterdam School for Social Science Research (ASSR), University of Amsterdam (UvA), and NIAS, beginning in January 2010.

The doctoral fellowships will be for four years beginning in August 2010 and the research position for two years beginning in May 2010.

Programme overview:

Title: Provincial Globalisation: The Impact of Reverse Transnational Flows in India’s Regional Towns (A collaborative research programme of Amsterdam School for Social Science Research, University of Amsterdam, and National Institute of Advanced Studies, India, supported by the WOTRO Integrated Programme grant, the Netherlands)

Principle researchers: Prof. Mario Rutten (ASSR) and Dr. Carol Upadhya (NIAS)

Objectives and summary:

Most studies of globalisation in developing countries have been confined mainly to the megacities and on national level processes. However, available data suggest that the impact of globalisation has been significant in smaller urban centres and rural areas, especially those with significant patterns of international migration. Out-migration usually leads to the formation of transnational networks through which economic, social and cultural resources flow from migrants back into their home regions and towns. Transnational linkages and flows have become significant agents of globalisation and socio-economic transformation throughout the global South, in diverse ways, with both positive and negative impacts on development.

This five-year research programme focuses on processes of ‘provincial globalisation’ in India by tracing transnational reverse flows of resources transmitted by migrants to their home regions. These resources include not only remittances, investments and charitable donations, but also ‘social remittances’, ideas, cultural orientations and aspirations. The programme aims to examine the influence of these reverse flows on political and economic processes and cultural identities. The focus will be on the regional level and on key towns within selected regions, in order to investigate the impact of regional ‘diasporas’ on social development in India from the ‘bottom-up’. The programme will consist of five independent research projects – three Ph.D. projects and two post-doctoral or independent research projects. The three Ph.D. projects will be intensive micro-level studies carried out in three different regions – central Gujarat, coastal Andhra Pradesh and coastal Karnataka – all of which have significant histories of international migration. The other two projects will be more macro-level overview studies on the geography and economics (respectively) of transnational linkages and flows at the regional, state and national levels.

The Ph.D. students and Post-Doctoral Fellows or Senior Researchers are expected to develop and carry out their own research projects within the broad framework of the programme. While each project will be autonomous and produce independent outputs such as the Ph.D. theses, reports, and papers, they will be closely linked together within the programme through joint activities, consultations, knowledge sharing, and publications.

Members of the programme team will work together closely in order to build a comprehensive comparative perspective. There are two Ph.D. positions open – one focused on the Guntur region in Andhra Pradesh and the other on the Mangalore region in Karnataka. The Ph.D. students selected for these projects are expected to have a good knowledge of Telugu and Kannada, respectively. In addition, one post-doctoral fellowship will be offered focusing on the economics of transnational flows, which will have an all-India focus as well as covering the three selected regions/ states from a quantitative and macro-level perspective.

Eligibility for doctoral fellowships:

The fellowships are open to those who have completed / are completing (by July 2010) a Master’s degree in in sociology, social anthropology, geography, or related social sciences, with at least 55 % marks. Candidates with an M.Phil. degree or relevant research experience will be preferred. Selected candidates should have excellent writing skills in English and a good knowledge of Kannada or Telugu (spoken and written).

The Ph.D. students will undergo a year of coursework and research training prior to fieldwork, half of which will be conducted at NIAS and the other half in at ASSR, Amsterdam. The fellowships will provide four years of support (one year of coursework, one year fieldwork, and two years for analysis and writing), as well as funding for research and other expenses related to the programme. The fellowship amount will be on par with existing doctoral fellowships available in India. Suitable allowances will be provided during the students’ stay at ASSR, Amsterdam.

Required qualifications for research position:

The researcher will design and carry out an independent project on the economics of transnational migration and resource flows. Candidates should have finished a Ph.D. degree in economics by May 2010, preferably with specialization in migration studies. The successful candidate will have strong quantitative and analytical skills and an ability to discover and creatively utilise diverse data sources. This is a full-time two-year position based at NIAS. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience, and research and travel expenses will be covered.

Applications:

The deadline for applications is December 31, 2009. Short-listed candidates will be invited to NIAS for an interview in mid-February 2010. Interested candidates should submit their curriculum vitae including the names and addresses of three referees, copies of relevant degree certificates, and a short statement of purpose (3-5 pages) based on the outline of the research programme given below, to:

Dr. Carol Upadhya
National Institute of Advanced Studies
Indian Institute of Science Campus
Bangalore 560012 India
Email: Provincial.Globalisation@gmail.com

Statement of purpose:

Although the overall objectives of the programme have been laid out, there is substantial scope for developing innovative individualised projects within this framework. The statement of purpose or outline of the proposed project submitted with the application should describe the applicant’s reasons for wanting to join the programme and ideas for the research project, based on the programme description given above. These statements will not be regarded as a research proposal or a final statement of research objectives (which will be developed during the first months of the programme by the researchers), but will help the interview committee judge the applicant’s interest in and suitability for the programme. The essay may also discuss how the candidate’s education or work/ research experience will be useful in carrying out the proposed project.