Vacancy for a Ph.D. position.

Title of the programme
Mobile Africa Revisited: A comparative study of the relationship between new communication technologies and social spaces (Chad, Mali, Cameroon, Senegal, Angola)

Programme Coordinators
Mirjam de Bruijn (ASC, Leiden, The Netherlands), Francis Nyamnjoh (Codesria, Dakar, Senegal), Inge Brinkman (ASC, Leiden, The Netherlands)

Counterpart Institute
CEIC (Centro de Estudos e Investigação Cientifica) at UCAN (Universidade Católica de Angola), CP 2064, Luanda, Angola.

Outline of the PhD project in south-east Angola

In this research programme an interpretation will be offered of the relationship between the new Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), social space, mobility and marginality in Sub-Saharan Africa. In six case-studies (Central Chad, West-Cameroon, Central Mali, Senegal, North Angola and South-East Angola), the programme seeks to arrive at an interdisciplinary analysis of the dynamics of mobility, social relations and communication technologies.

Title of the case-study in south-east Angola: Losing the peace? The post-war history of south-east Angola and the introduction of new communication technologies:

The historical patterns of mobility in south-east Angola were disrupted when war started in the 1960s. In the wake of extreme violence and deprivation, people tried to flee to the small regional towns, to the capital Luanda and across the border into Zambia and Namibia. Since the Angolan peace treaty was signed in 2002, a number of international development organizations have been coordinating the return of refugees and IDPs to south-east Angola. How do the returnees view the possibilities of the new communication technologies? Do they see them as assisting their own ‘development’ or do they view them as being largely outside their reach and related only to the realm of development agencies? Are the new ICTs playing a role in these newly created communities and in the reconfiguration of the mobile margins that connect south-east Angola to a range of other territories?

The candidate is expected to:
1. be prepared to carry out fieldwork (qualitative, in-depth interviews, participant observation) in the area of the case-study concerned. Knowledge of south-east Angola (Kuando Kubango province) will be regarded as an advantage.
2. be interested in combining a historical/anthropological perspective in research.
3. possess at least an average knowledge of English.
4. be prepared to travel to Leiden and Cameroon for proposal writing/training and, in case of need, for writing-up of the PhD thesis (the costs for which will be covered by ASC).
5. be prepared to attend workshops (also internationally) of the programme (the costs for which will be covered by ASC).
6. produce half-yearly reports to be send to the programme coordinators of the ASC, in which all financial aspects and the proceedings of the research are explained, inclusive of all evidence (original tickets, original receipts) of the costs made.
7. end the 3.5 years programme with a completed PhD thesis conform international academic standards.

Contract
Includes stipend of 1,000 Euro per month, research and transport costs will be covered by the programme. The candidate is expected to start immediately and be in position for 3.5 years in a full-time engagement.

Contact
Salim Valimamade, Director of CEIC at UCAN, [email][email protected]
Inge Brinkman, Programme Coordinator, ASC, Leiden, [email][email protected]