PhD studentship opportunity at University College London in migration statistics and modelling.
PhD studentship opportunity at University College London in migration statistics and modelling.
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PHD Studentship – (ENFOLD-ing – Explaining, Modelling and Forecasting Global Dynamics), –
UCL Department / Division
Department of Geography
Specific unit / Sub department
Migration Research Unit/CASA
Duration of Studentship
3 Years
Stipend
£15,290 plus £3,390 tuition fees per annum
Vacancy Information
ENFOLD is a multidisciplinary, five year modelling project funded by the UK Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC: £2.9 million FEC) spanning seven UCL departments. It will develop new forms of complexity science to address the most difficult of human problems: those involving global change where there is no organised constituency and whose agencies are largely regarded as being ineffective. ENFOLD addresses problems arising from the fact that that global systems tend to be treated in isolation from one another. Their characteristically unexpected dynamics are thus due to the aspects of coupling and integration between them that are all too often ignored. To demonstrate these dynamics and develop appropriate policy responses, ENFOLD will study four related global systems: trade, migration, security and development aid. Integrated and coupled models will be developed, whose dynamics can be described in the language of complexity theory, including chaos, turbulence, bifurcations, catastrophes, and phase transition. The programme will apply spatial interaction models to trade and migration; reaction diffusion to conflicts and terrorism; and network models to international trade, migration and crime. These models will be extended to incorporate new events, such as the emergence of new entities, including countries, coupling them together in diverse ways. A generic framework will ultimately be developed for a coupled global dynamics spanning many spatial and temporal scales, pertaining to different systems whose behaviours can be both quantitatively and qualitatively simulated. Models will be developed which incorporate all these ideas into a global intelligence system to inform global policy makers about future events. Several UK government departments as well as global businesses are partners in this project.
Studentship Description
The role of the Migration PhD studentship within ENFOLD will be:
1. To review and engage with the literature on general theories of migration and more specifically that on migration forecasting models
2. To identify, collect, systematise and analyse relevant international migration statistics as required by the project
3. To assist in the programming and database effort for the migration model in ENFOLD
4. To develop and test several models of global migration dynamics
Person Specification
The applicants should possess a good honours degree (1st Class or 2:1 minimum) in any of the following disciplines: Economics, Statistics, Physics, Mathematics, Finance, or in any social science program with a strong quantitative component within Geography, Sociology, Epidemiology/ Public Health, GIS, Spatial Analysis or any other closely relevant subject area. An MSc in one of these areas or/and knowledge in econometric and statistical analysis is highly desirable. They should also have excellent quantitative research skills in social sciences including a good command of statistical analysis and programming knowledge of relevant packages (R, SAS,SPSS). As well as strong motivation to conduct independent research on the field of migration and basic knowledge of contemporary issues on migration.
Eligibility
The studentship is subject to funding restrictions please refer to the following link:http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/funding/students/Pages/eligibility.aspx.
Candidates should submit an application for graduate study to UCL Registry (http://www.ucl.ac.uk/admission/graduate-study/application-admission/) and should send a duplicate, along with a CV and cover letter, to Dr Pablo Mateos via email top.mateos@ucl.ac.uk.
Contact name
Dr Pablo Mateos
Contact details
UCL Taking Action for Equality
Closing Date
30 Jun 2010
Latest time for the submission of applications
30th June 2010
Interview date
Mid July 2010
Studentship Start Date
1st October 2010