Are you passionate to research the society and nature relationships in the context of peri-urban land and water commons in the Global North and South? If you want to advance governance scholarship to explain the nuances of the changing peri-urban landscape due to climate change and urbanization, then we are looking for you!

We have an exciting PhD position shared by the two chair groups: Sociology of Development & Change and Landscape Architecture and Spatial Planning. The PhD will be part of the research project ‘Peri-urban commons and resource conflicts in the urbanising world’ (Peri-commons). The project seeks to explain the mechanisms underlying processes of decommoning and recommoning in several countries: what can peri-urban commons contribute to the socio-ecological system of urban and rural stakeholders, how do conflicts arise, and how are they governed - through collective action and planned interventions?

About the project
Traditionally peri-urban areas and its commons functioned as natural buffer zones and provide ecosystem services for both urban and rural dwellers, in the global South and North. However, processes of urbanization and accompanied land use changes create conditions for decommoning as the state takes - or has taken - over the commons to build city's infrastructure and amenities. At present, several conflicts are exacerbating in peri-urban spaces due to water and climate insecurity and rapid urban agglomeration.
Several efforts are being made to challenge continuous urban expansion and depletion of commons. Community-based recommoning efforts are emerging in several peri-urban spaces. In some cases, commons are maintained or restored, nevertheless it is unclear how these efforts lead to decline of conflicts and sustainable development. In this project, we will analyze the interplay between different state and non-state actors, and their effects on building resilient ecosystems in the rural-urban fringe. The project will follow an interpretive case study methodology to analyze decommoning and recommoning practices of the peri-urban commons in Spain, Scotland, the Netherlands, and India.
You will be based in Wageningen (the Netherlands) and conduct fieldwork across different sites in Europe and the sub-continent Asia.

You will:

• Explaining mechanisms that are responsible for the depletion and restoration of commons in peri-urban spaces?
• Second, what are the emerging conflicts related to access and control over land and water commons in peri-urban areas? The question particularly expands upon how processes of decommoning and recommoning are leading to conflicts between the state and impacted communities.
• Lastly, how are these conflicts are (self)governed (or not) – including what consensual approaches are emerging in these conflicting trajectories, and with what results?

You will work here
The research is embedded within the Chair Sociology of Development & Change & Chair Landschape Architecture and Spatial Planning.
You will be co-supervised by Sumit Vij (SDC) and Marlies Meijer (LSP).

• A convincing interest into advancing scholarship on peri-urban commons;
• good communication and collaboration skills: you can communicate clearly and collaborate with a wide range of actors – from local communities to academic settings;
• strong interest to work with local communities and challenging political environments;
• Strong analytical skills – you can demonstrate critical thinking and show interest in developing the capacity to perform a comparative case study analysis;

You also possess:

• a successfully completed MSc degree in human geography, development studies, spatial planning, environmental sciences, sociology or other related interdisciplinary sciences;
• experience in, or strong motivation towards, working in multidisciplinary and international teams;
• experience with participatory, and qualitative social research methods;
• demonstrated cultural sensitivity and in doing research and/or outreach in Europe and/or Asia, is an advantage;

For this position your command of the English language is expected to be at C1 level. Sometimes it is necessary to submit an internationally recognised Certificate of Proficiency in the English Language. More information can be found here.

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• Partially paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• the option to accrue additional compensation / holiday hours by working more, up to 40 hours per week;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed December bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team.

The gross salary for the first year is € 2.770 - per month rising to € 3.539,- in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well.

There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a unique position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland, and at a university that has been chosen as the “ Best University ” in the Netherlands for the 18th consecutive time.

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees.
Our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.

Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. Wageningen University & Research's International Community page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees and students coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, we can assist you with any additional advice and information about helping your partner to find a job, housing, schooling. For instance under the "30% rule", certain categories of international staff can receive tax exemption on approximately 30% of their gross salary.

Wageningen University & Research

Wageningen University & Research
The mission of Wageningen University & Research is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment.

With its roughly 30 branches, 7,200 employees (6,400 fte) and 13,200 students and over 150.000 participants to WUR’s Life Long Learning, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. The unique Wageningen approach lies in its integrated approach to issues and the collaboration between different disciplines.. An integrated approach to problems and the cooperation between various disciplines are at the heart of Wageningen’s unique approach. WUR has been named Best Employer in the Education category for 2019-2020.

These are the points our employees list as good reasons to come work at WUR: read the 5 reasons to come work at WUR

We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.