Oxford Brookes University is pleased to offer a PhD Studentship in the Department of Social Sciences, starting in September 2017. Applications are invited for PhD proposals in Interventions: Politicising Political Thought. The supervisor team will be co-led by Prof Gary Browning (Political Theory) and Dr Doerthe Rosenow (International Relations). The project is located in the Brunel-Brookes-Research Cluster in Political Thought, therefore a third supervisor from Brunel University will join the supervisory team.
The proposed PhD project will provide an intervention that criss-crosses the disciplines of critical International Relations and the history of political thought, combining the strengths of both disciplines and critically interrogating their respective presumptions. It will intervene in the history of political thought by asking questions of past theorists in relation to thinkers that dominate the critical IR canon, and also in relation to empirical forms of the present in the light of the past.
Details of the members of the Brookes-Brunel-Research Cluster in Political Thought are given in the application pack.
The project can focus on a number of themes, including (but not confined to):
- the character of neo-liberalism, by comparing classical liberal, neo-liberal and critical thinkers (e.g. Foucault).
- the problem of materiality, by comparing ‘old’ critical materialist theories (primarily based in Marxism) to the so-called contemporary New Materialisms (e.g. in relation to the thought of Bruno Latour and Isabelle Stengers).
- the problem of colonial legacies, by analysing the colonial underpinnings of traditional political theory in relation to the decolonial critique.
*Applicants are strongly advised to contact a member of the supervisory team with a short outline of the potential research proposal before submitting an application.* Contact details will be included in the application pack.
The successful candidate will receive an annual payment of £10,000 as a stipend towards living expenses for a maximum of three years.
Home/EU fees will be covered by the Department for a maximum of three years. The Studentship is open to both Home/EU and International students. However, owing to the funding available, the award will be funded at the level of Home/EU research degree fees. Therefore International applicants should be aware that they would need to fund the difference between the Home/EU and International research degree fees each year. Please note that all fees rise by approximately 4% each year.
Please see this page for information on current International fees:
Information on current Home/EU fees:
As a successful applicant, you will join a supportive and research-active Department. For more information on the Department of Social Sciences visit http://www.social-sciences.brookes.ac.uk/
Eligibility: We are looking to recruit a candidate of the highest quality and who is capable of submitting a Ph.D. thesis within 3 years. Applicants are expected to have completed a relevant Masters degree prior to the Studentship start date. The Studentship holder may also be required to complete supplementary research methods training in their first year of study. Applicants should also be able to demonstrate strong research capabilities and be fluent in spoken and written English.
Deadline: The closing date for applications is 13.00 on Thursday 25th May
Interview date: Interviews will be held as soon as possible after the deadline.
Start date: 18th September 2017
How to apply: To request an application pack, a project description and for further details of how to apply, please contact hss-researchdegrees@brookes.ac.uk