PhD Scholarship Position in a Project on Human Capital and The World EconomyPhD Scholarship Position in a Project on Human Capital and The World Econo

As a PhD student you will participate in the project Agency, Gender, and Economic Development in the World Economy 1850-2000. This project explores how ‘agency’, conceptualized as the potential for individual decision-making at the levels of households, economic activity and political participation, contributed to global economic development and vice versa. This question, which is at the core of current theorizing in economic history, requires innovative use of existing datasets and creation of new datasets, elaboration of concepts in collaboration with leading experts, and extensive cooperation between researchers working at both micro and macro levels. The project is funded by NWO, and directed by Prof. Jan Luiten van Zanden and Prof. Jan Kok. It is subdivided into three PhD projects and one postdoctoral project (see: Official Website. )

Your research (the third subproject) will focus on the role of human capital in economic development. Unified Growth Theory postulates an intricate connection between human capital and the acceleration of economic growth. Is this borne out by the facts? What kind of human capital (e.g. literacy, numeracy) is most important, and what is the role of female education and training? You will also elaborate the links between family systems and human capital: what kind of incentives and obstructions can be found in the rules and patterns of marriage and co-residence? For instance, how detrimental is early marriage for female education and thus for women’s role in enhancing human capital?

You will be based at Radboud University Nijmegen, and you will be part of the Historical Demography research group led by Prof. Theo Engelen and Prof. Jan Kok.

Requirements
As candidate for this position you:
• have a Master’s degree in economic and social history, or in economics or another social science, with shown interest in economic and social history;
• have a theoretical background and a strong interest in relevant theory;
• have an outstanding record of undergraduate and Master’s degree work;
• are able to work with large datasets;
• have excellent writing and speaking skills in English;
• are committed to learn Dutch on level B2 (CEFR) within two years, in case you are a non-Dutch speaker.

Organization
Radboud University Nijmegen is one of the leading academic communities in the Netherlands, renowned for its leafy campus, modern buildings, and state-of-the-art equipment. It has seven faculties and enrolls over 17,500 students in approximately 121 study programmes. The university is situated in Nijmegen, the oldest city in the Netherlands, close to the German border, on the banks of the river Waal. Nijmegen has a rich history and its city centre is one of the liveliest in the Netherlands.

Your research will be embedded in the institute for Historical, Literary and Cultural Studies (HLCS) at the Faculty of Arts within the theme “Public and private lives: The history of politics and human life courses, see: Official Website. You will be based at the Department of History, where the project is part of the Department’s research programme “LIFE. The socio-cultural realities of human life courses in East and West”.
Visit Official Website.

Conditions of employment
Employment: 1,0 fte
Maximum salary per month, based on a fulltime employment: € 2,612 gross/month
The gross starting salary is € 2,042 per month based on full-time employment.
Duration of the contract: The total duration of the contract is 4 years.

Additional conditions of employment
You will be offered an initial contract for 18 months with the possibility of extension by 2.5 years.
The project is scheduled to start on June 1st, 2011.

Other Information
Please submit:
• a cover letter and CV;
• transcripts of your qualifications to date (degrees and grade lists);
• a writing sample, preferably a chapter of your MA thesis;
• a 1000-word research design, in which you present your ideas about the execution of the project;
• two referees.

Additional Information
Prof. dr. Jan Kok
Telephone: +31 24 3612778
E-mail: [email protected]

Application
You can apply for the job (mention the vacancy number 23.12.11) before 22 April 2011 by sending your application -preferably by email- to:

Radboud University Nijmegen, Faculty of Arts, P&O Department
P.O. Box 9103, 6500 HD Nijmegen, NL
Telephone: +31 24 3612916
E-mail: [email protected]

Faculty of Arts
Maximum Salary: € 2,612 gross/month
Vacancy number: 23.12.11
Closing date: 22 April 2011

Application Deadline : 22 April 2011

Visit Official Website.

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