UNBC is seeking highly motivated and adventurous students to join a new, SSHRC-funded research project, Indigenous Territorial Rights in the Russian Federation. Students will pursue topics of their own choice under the broad themes of legal and/or cultural geographies of indigenous rights in the Russian North. Candidates should feel comfortable working in collaborative and multi-cultural environments.
The Masters student may pursue either a MA in Natural Resources and Environmental Studies (MA NRES)(with a focus on Geography or Environmental Studies) or an Interdisciplinary MA (MA IDIS). For more information on these programs, see: http://www.unbc.ca/nres-graduate-program/ma & http://www.unbc.ca/calendar/graduate/interdisciplinary-studies.
Please note: through the MA IDIS program there is also an option for the MA student to participate in UNBC's new MA Interdisciplinary Studies (Specialization in International Northern Development) program, a collaborative, interdisciplinary, joint master's degree program between the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) and Nord University (NU) in Bodø, Norway, involving a fully funded exchange term at Nord University.
The PhD student will enter UNBC's interdisciplinary Natural Resources and Environmental Studies PhD program. The applicant must have completed a master's degree in geography or a related field prior to starting in the PhD program. For more information see: http://www.unbc.ca/nres-graduate-program/phd
Some proficiency in Russian language is highly desirable for both positions.
A competitive funding package will be offered to the successful candidates, including an annual stipend (up to 2 years for the MA student, 3 years for PhD student), plus support for field research costs in Siberia and for presenting research findings at conferences. Successful candidates will also be encouraged to apply for additional external funding, and mentored to do so.
The research team includes members from institutions in Canada, Finland, Lithuania, Norway and the Russian Federation.
For more information on the project, specific opportunities and expectations/responsibilities interested candidates should contact me at gail.fondahl@unbc.ca. I will eventually require from candidates 1) a brief description of academic interests and goals; 2) an unofficial copy of undergraduate academic transcript, and for PhD position, graduate transcript; and 3) a writing sample. However, I encourage all interested persons to contact me first, to initiate a discussion about the opportunities and expectations.
An intake for September 2017 is most likely for the MA student. For the PhD student, a start date of May 2017 or September 2017 will be considered.