ESRC South West Doctoral Training Centre Studentship: The Political Economy of Extractive Industries in Central Asia
This project is one of a number that are in competition for funding. Studentships will be awarded on the basis of merit and strategic fit with the aims of the DTC. For eligible UK/EU students the full time studentship will cover fees and an annual Research Council stipend of approximately £13,726 (2013/2014 rate) for up to three years (+3 PhD award).
Supervisors: Dr John Heathershaw and David Lewis (Politics, Exeter) with Tom Mayne (Global Witness). The supervisor can be contacted on J.D.Heathershaw@exeter.ac.uk or D.Lewis@exeter.ac.uk for further details of the project and for support in completing the research proposal.
Project Description: This studentship takes the form of a collaborative partnership between Exeter and the London-based civil society organization Global Witness (GW). GW conducts research and campaigns for greater transparency in the business and financial relations of developing states in the global market economy. It is particularly concerned with extractive industries in Central Asia having released studies on gas in Turkmenistan, copper in Kazakhstan and oil in Azerbaijan.
This study will assess the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) mechanisms for revealing beneficial ownership of the off-shore shell companies that are an integral component of extractive industries. In addition to being a full time student at the university of Exeter, the student will be placed under a volunteer contract at GW where s/he would receive in-house training and a desk with a computer and phone. Travel within London and subsistence would be provided. It would be expected that the student would spend 2-4 days working at GW during the ‘fieldwork’ period of the project (year 2). We would also schedule periods in the office during the research design (year 1) stage of the project. In year 3 the student would be expected to spend the vast majority of the time writing up his/her dissertation.
Application deadline: 13th February 2014
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