Is your recent MA in political science, sociology, agricultural economics or development studies? Are you passionate about researching Food System Governance? Kabale University invites you to apply for a funded PhD position within the collaborative research programme “The Political Economy of Food System Governance around Lake Victoria: Implications for Climate-Vulnerable Livelihoods.” Join us in advancing knowledge and making a difference in communities with climate-vulnerable livelihoods.
About the Research Programme
This collaborative programme involves Kabale University, REPOA in Dar es Salaam, and Aarhus University in Denmark, with support from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The research focuses on the political economy of food system governance and its implications for communities with climate-vulnerable livelihoods in the Uganda/Tanzania border districts in the Lake Victoria region. It will examine how local and national governments’ food system regulations, taxation, policies, and resource allocations are governed in the two contexts, and how these factors affect communities whose livelihoods depend on the food system. The central research question is: How does food system governance affect rural and urban poor with climate-vulnerable livelihoods in the Lake Victoria Region?
The aim is to expand our empirical knowledge of how food system governance alleviates or exacerbates the conditions of communities with climate-vulnerable livelihoods. Additionally, the aim is to improve the theoretical understanding of the political economy of food system governance at both national and subnational levels, and the mechanisms through which it affects these communities.
About the PhD Research
The PhD position will be awarded through Kabale University’s Department of Governance Faculty of Social Sciences. The programme includes a six-month stay at Aarhus University to attend courses. The PhD programme runs from August 2025 to August 2028.
Applicants should submit a proposal of no more than five pages (2,500 words) that aligns with the research question outlined above. Prospective students might consider expanding our theoretical understanding of food system governance by, for instance, focusing on how the decentralization of government functions affects food security, or exploring the interplay between climate hazards and food system governance for climate-vulnerable livelihoods. The border between Tanzania and Uganda offers a unique setting for comparative analysis. The deliverables will include a monograph or a series of articles on food system governance in the Lake Victoria Region.
The proposal must include a clear purpose, a discussion of proposed methods and theory, and a timeline. The PhD student will participate in annual workshops and conduct field research alongside senior researchers in the project.
Requirements
- Applicants must be Ugandan citizens.
- Applicants should hold a Master’s degree in Political Science, Public Administration, Agricultural Economics, Sociology, or any other related academic discipline.
- Applicants should be no older than 35 years of age.
Deadline for Application
The deadline for applications is August 30th 2024. We aim at interviews in mid/late September.
Please submit your application to:
Dr. Mesharch Katusiimeh
Associate Professor, Department of Governance and Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences
Kabale University
Plot 364 Block 3, Kikungiri Hill, Kabale Municipality
P.O. Box 317, Kabale – Uganda
Email: mkatusiimeh@kab.ac.ug
And copy to:
Professor Anne Mette Kjær
University of Aarhus, Denmark
Department of Political Science
Email: mkjaer@ps.au.dk
For more information, feel free to contact:
Dr. Mesharch Katusiimeh (Kabale University) – mkatusiimeh@kab.ac.ug
Prof. Anne Mette Kjær (Aarhus University) – mkjaer@ps.au.dk