The Right Livelihood College (RLC) Campus at ZEF, University of Bonn, Germany, offers scholarships for PhD students from Africa, Asia, and Latin America to participate in the transdisciplinary workshop “Environmental conservation and rural development: the role of local communities and non-state actors”
There is a myriad of environmental conservation projects and initiatives worldwide aiming at the responsible management and use of the environment and its resources. Starting from the promotion of sustainable land, soil, and water use practices, via mushrooming new and larger Protected Areas such as Biosphere Reserves, Forest Priority Areas, and Conservancies, to economic approaches such as Payments for Ecosystem Services. Many of them are strongly trying to include concepts of participation and sustainability as discussed by academia and non-state actors alike. However, global environmental destruction and resource depletion are still ongoing with catastrophic impacts. People living in rural parts of Africa, Asia, and Latin America, for example as smallholders, pastoralists, or indigenous forest users, who directly depend on their surrounding environment and its resources, are on the one hand ‘target groups’ of such projects, and on the other hand most vulnerable to socio-ecological changes and risks compromising their livelihoods.
Nevertheless, the RLC workshop will thematically focus on local level empirical PhD research in rural areas in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. PhD students will have the opportunity to present and discuss their own research work in a cohesive transdisciplinary way by building on each participant’s expertise and experiences.
Objectives
The workshop targets the following objectives:
- to strengthen knowledge and understanding of concepts and methodological approaches related to environmental conservation and local communities as well as non-state actors,
- critically assess different pathways of environmental conservation and its actual and potential contributions with particular focus on local communities and non-state actor actions and involvement,
- present own case studies from Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and to showcase projects considered successful,
- promote transmission of expertise and experience as well as networking between PhD students, “Alternative Nobel Prize” Laureates and other experts working on the topic around the world.
- Applicants must have received a PhD or equivalent doctoral-level research degree
- They must be indigen of a developing country
- Fluentcy in both written and spoken english is required.
Application Process
The application should consist of:
- Completed online application form
- English abstract of their PhD project (not more than 300 words)
- Curriculum Vitae
- Certificate of full Covid-19 vaccination (authorized by EMA) or recovery
To apply for The RLC Fully-funded Workshop for PhD Students, click here
Deadline: March 16, 2022.
For more information, visit the official site.
