PhD programme in Environmental Economics at the University of Gothenburg
Deadline for application March 3, 2010 (application form)

Background
The Department of Economics at the University of Gothenburg, has a long history of support for PhD candidates from developing countries. The purpose of the programme is to strengthen capacity in developing countries, and in particular the capacity to teach environmental economics at university level and to establish a firm basis for research that can be used for policy advice. 

Programme outline in brief
The Environmental Economics Unit (EEU) at the University of Gothenburg offers four full scholarships in a PhD programme in Environmental Economics with admission September 2010. This programme is supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and includes one year of general economics courses, one year of specialisation courses and two to three years of data collection and thesis writing.

These scholarships are open to applicants from developing countries only.

Please note that we do not accept electronic applications.

Detailed description of the programme
The programme spans four to five years, of which the first two years consist of intensive coursework. The first year is identical to the general PhD programme in economics, i.e. involving mathematics, statistics, econometrics, micro and macro. The second year includes a sequence of courses in environmental economics such as environmental valuation, natural resource economics and policy instruments, together with optional courses such as advanced econometrics, development economics, public economics, industrial organisation, etc. There is also a course in ecology and economic management and natural sciences at the Beijer Institute and Chalmers University of Technology. Students may attend more science courses related to their thesis topic, as well as relevant training opportunities at the Beijer Institute. Please note that this programme is in English.

Theses may contain both theoretical and empirical data. A number of trips back to the home university are made possible in order to facilitate the choice of thesis topic as well as data collection. After the first academic year, students are encouraged to hold discussions with advisors in Sweden and at home to discuss their thesis topics. During thesis work, students have the opportunity to return for a second time in order to collect data, or simply to maintain contact with their home institution. Since environmental data is rarely available, special funds are provided for data collection.

Practical arrangements
There are no tuition fees. Teaching and supervision will be organised by the EEU and include a number of guest professors.

The programme will pay excursion airfares as well as an appropriate monthly allowance (SEK approx 13 000 the first two years and approx 15 the following two years) to cover personal expenses and accommodation (which will be arranged by us). Computers, books and data collection are covered by the programme. The programme starts in the first week of September 2010. Students are requested to arrive a few days before this.

Selection criteria
We receive many applications for the programme; usually around 150 to 200 applicants for our four scholarships. Our selection follows a number of criteria, including the following:

You must have a strong economics background, i.e. at least a masters' degree in economics, preferably with an evironmental economics specialization.

The programme is funded by Sida and its aim is to help build capacity in developing countries. For this reason, we give priority to the building of institutions rather than the education of individuals. Therefore, it is important for applicants to show the context within which they are working within, and how they will use the education acquired. It is important to show what affiliation you have, such as teaching, research, policy advice, etc. It is useful if letters of recommendation highlight whether the applicant is designated to hold certain courses, build up research or do similar work in the future at their home institutions, etc.

We also give priority to certain countries (low income countries with which Sida has substantial collaboration) and to institutions that have a requirement for this kind of collaboration.

The programme is part of a PhD programme in economics at the University of Gothenburg. This is a demanding programme, which also implies a number of stringent criteria. Candidates must have a very good analytical ability and a good knowledge and understanding of economic theory and econometrics. We strongly recommend that applicants take a GRE test and submit a copy of the results with their applications.

We give priority to women from countries where women are underrepresented in academia.

Finally, we encourage individuals who have shown a documented interest in resource and environmental issues, or who have had professional training in environmentally relevant sciences.

The four candidates will be selected by a programme committee.

Application submissions should include:

·          The application form
·          A detailed CV, including academic transcripts, teaching experience and current employment
·          Your CV must be detailed concerning your knowledge of economics, particularly micro, mathematics, statistics and econometrics. Be sure to include grades that can easily be interpreted, and if in doubt describe the content, literature, length, etc. of key courses
·          We also need to receive at least two letters of recommendation, in particular statements indicating how the candidate performs academically and how he or she could contribute to existing plans for building capacity in environmental economics
·          Enclosure of previous research is strongly encouraged; you may for instance send us a copy of a recent paper or article. If you have been teaching, please provide detailed information on the courses taught
·          Personal statement regarding why you want to study environmental economics