The Wits History Workshop invites applications for Its Master’s fellowship program to study institutional transformation in urban mobility governance on the African continent.
The Wits project is made possible by a research grant awarded by the Volvo Research and Educational Foundations (VREF) at the end of 2020. The project explores changes in urban mobility governance in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Kampala, Uganda. In both cities, steps have been taken to support the mobility practices of walking and cycling. This is a novel development that goes against the general tide in patterns of urban mobility policies. This raises interesting questions on the dynamics of change. Assuming a long-term perspective in inquiry, the aim of the project is to understand:
- why and how the formal rules, norms, expectations, and beliefs (institutions) about urban mobility guiding the activities of state and non-state actors have changed;
- the distribution of these institutions among urban mobility actors in Addis Ababa and Kampala;
- how the contexts themselves account for changes.
Benefits
The value of the fellowship is R100 000 plus a separate research allowance.
Eligibility
- The project is interdisciplinary and welcomes applications from students with distinguished academic records in the fields of History, Geography, Urban Planning, Organisational and Institutional Studies, Political Studies, Sociology, Social Anthropology, and relevant adjacent subjects.
- They should be willing to undertake fieldwork together with members of the project team for the purposes of mentorship and assistance in negotiating the study site. And
- Must be registered at the University of the Witwatersrand.
Application Process
The following documents should be submitted to antonette.gouws@wits.ac.za for application:
- A detailed and up-to-date CV showing candidates’ degrees and course components.
- A one-page concept paper on why the candidate is interested in the project and sketching out some ideas on how the candidate might undertake the project.
- Two academic letters of reference.
- Certified copies of degrees.
- An academic transcript.
- An example of any recent written or published work such as an honors research report.
Deadline: March 12, 2021.
For more information and application, visit the official site.
