PhD Research Scholarships in Various Disciplines, National University of Singapore

Singapore. Several PhD research scholarships are being offered by The Asia Research Institute (ARI) in the following interdisciplinary areas:

• Changing Family in Asia
• Asian Migration
• Religion and Globalisation in Asian Contexts
• Cultural Studies in Asia
• Southeast Asia-China Interaction

The PhD scholarships is to be taken up jointly with the appropriate discipline-based department. This would normally be with a department of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, but where appropriate could also be with the Faculty of Law, School of Business or School of Design and Environment at the National University of Singapore.

Applicants must use the application forms in the respective Faculty websites depending on the Faculty to which they wish to seek admission.

Research at ARI currently focuses on the following areas or “clusters”:
1) The Changing Family cluster (Research Leader: Professor Gavin Jones)focuses on changing family forms, roles and structures in Asian societies, as other institutions take over some family functions, low fertility, delayed marriage and longevity transform family composition,and labour market realities and changing gender relations affect internal family dynamics.

2) The Migration cluster (Research Leader: Professor Brenda Yeoh) explores the issues arising from increased levels of human mobility inthe region, both within and across national borders. Mobility ofhigh-level professional and managerial personnel, labour migration, both documented and undocumented, and human trafficking all raise theoretical and methodological questions and major policy issues, as does the role of migration in urban change.

3) The Religion and Globalisation cluster (Research Leader: Professor Bryan Turner) explores the changing patterns of religious practice, beliefs and identity in recent times, particularly in Southeast Asia, China and South Asia. The title implies a particular interest in transnational and diasporic interactions, the engagement with modern technologies and values, and new global or local forms of identity.

4) The Cultural Studies cluster (Research Leader: Professor Chua BengHuat) consciously challenges disciplinary boundaries to address newtopics, issues and concerns thrown up by the rapid globalization of contemporary cultures. ARI is interested in new understandings of the everyday life cultural practices of contemporary Asia, as in adaptations of older patterns in literature, and the performing and graphic arts, in rapidly changing contemporary conditions.

5) The Southeast Asia-China interactions cluster (Research Leader:Professor Anthony Reid) explores both historical and contemporary themes that are bringing East and Southeast Asia closer together, and is interested in any mix of the political, economics, cultural or social. Southeast Asian Archaeology (Research Leader: Associate Professor JohnMiksic) also comes under this cluster. The archaeology research group focuses on problems connected with early historic sites of Southeast Asia and major topics such as early trade; urbanization; maritime archaeology; intercommunication between sites; and ceramics as indicators of spheres of cultural and economic interaction.

ARI is a university-level institute formed in July 2001 as one of the strategic initiatives of the NUS. The mission of the Institute is to produce and promote world-class research on Asia. ARI engages the social sciences and humanities broadly defined, and encourages especially multidisciplinary studies. Now home to six research clusters with astrong team of resident and visiting scholars, ARI works closely with the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, School of Business, Faculty of Law, and School of Design and Environment in NUS.

The research will be started in August 2007

For further details, you may please contact:

Human Resources
c/o Ms Verene Koh
Asia Research Institute
National University of Singapore
AS7, Level 4, 5 Arts Link, Singapore 117570
Fax: (65) 6779 1428

Interested applicants are required to submit their application to ARI at the address stated above. Application deadline is 15 November 2006. Please do indicate clearly both which ARI interdisciplinary area they wish to join and which department they would be attached to.

Application procedures and forms can be obtained from the NUS website