PhD Scholarship in Economic Geography, Australia

The University of Western Australia
Faculty of Science
School of Agriculture and Environment, Centre of Regional Development

• 3 years
• PhD Scholarship from the Australian Research Council and stipend from the University of Western Australia to cover living in Perth, international tuition fees and international student health cover expenses

The University of Western Australia is currently seeking a PhD student in the field of economic geography, broadly defined. Three years of funding are provided, including a stipend to cover the living allowance, full international tuition feels and international student health cover.

The PhD project is tied to an ARC Discovery Grant (DP170104359) regarding the resource economies of Australian cities. It will seek to offer innovative insights into how Australian cities are integrated into the global economy through firm-based linkages. There are two principal components to this research—a macro-scale focus on cities’ situation with in the global economy, and a micro-scale focus on specific industry-based agglomerations within major cities. It will contribute to understanding how Australian cities are situated within overlapping global networks of information, knowledge, resources, human, and capital flows through the lens of multiple industry sectors, and more concretely how the resources sector is organised ‘on the ground’ within Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney vis-à-vis various locational, institutional, and political factors. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches are favourable, and the thesis is likely to incorporate a mixed-methods perspective.

The PhD will be positioned at The University of Western Australia in Perth, but will be supervised by an international team of from The University of Western Australia, The University of Queensland and Ghent University. The University of Western Australia and University of Queensland are ranked amongst the top Australian universities and members of the prestigious Group of Eight research-intensive universities. All three universities are ranked among the top 100 universities in the world by ARWU.

Perth is one of Australia’s largest capital cities, and a major destination for international students. With just over 2 million residents, and situated on the Swan River it has been ranked as one of the most liveable cities in the world by Economist Intelligence Unit.

For further information, contact Dr Kirsten Martinus at kirsten.martinus@uwa.edu.au.

To be considered for this role, you will demonstrate:

• Desire to learn new skills and theoretical models
• Ability to successfully manage multiple tasks and data sources
• Willingness to accept feedback from multiple perspectives
• A background in human geography or related field
• Dedication to completing a PhD
• Completion of a Master’s Degree or Honours (UWA 1st Class or equivalent)

Full details of the position’s responsibilities and the selection criteria are outlined in the position description and applicants should clearly demonstrate they meet the selection criteria.