E-waste value chains in Guangdong province, China (Advert Reference: RDF19/EE/GES/FU)

E-waste is recognised as a serious problem for its environmental and societal impact. And while work on the recycling activities of e-waste in geography and related disciplines has focused on these impacts, few studies have paid attention to e-waste reuse activities and the potential for value creation. China, as the second largest producer and largest recipient of the world’s e-waste, has recently undergone a formalization process that includes institutional actions and environmental regulations against the informal e-waste sector. The present measures appear to be non-inclusive and undermine the capacity of e-waste processing. As part of the regional cluster of electronics industry in Guangdong Province, which is renowned as the world factory of electronics, e-waste reuse activities actually bear more value-capturing and value-enhancing capability by exploiting the market channels and recombining technological opportunities within the regional value chains. Prospects for the reuse value of e-waste marks China’s manufacturing as a site of expertise and the inherent potential of maker movement to democratize technology production. To understand these processes, this project builds upon conceptual frameworks of global value chains and global production networks, linking up different localities and actors in Guangdong with functions of e-waste processing and electronics production. Unlike the global value chain governed by global lead firms, the “snowflake” nature of e-waste reuse marks the significance of intermediate vendors and refurbishers as the core actors shaping the governance structure. Moreover, the process of formalizing governance also interacts with the grassroots organization of e-waste economy. It will use a triangulation methodological approach, including legal archives analysis, semi-structured survey and in-depth interviews. Overall, the project aims to reveal the upgrading path and mechanisms of economic and social upgrading in e-waste economy, thus casting light upon the possible path of sustainable evolution for the electronics waste in the globe.
The principal supervisor for this project is Wenying Fu.

Eligibility and How to Apply:
Please note eligibility requirement:

• Academic excellence of the proposed student i.e. 2:1 (or equivalent GPA from non-UK universities [preference for 1st class honours]); or a Masters (preference for Merit or above); or APEL evidence of substantial practitioner achievement.
• Appropriate IELTS score, if required.
• Applicants cannot apply for this funding if currently engaged in Doctoral study at Northumbria or elsewhere.

For further details of how to apply, entry requirements and the application form, see
https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/research/postgraduate-research-degrees/how-to-apply/

Please note: Applications that do not include a research proposal of approximately 1,000 words (not a copy of the advert), or that do not include the advert reference (e.g. RDF19/EE/GES/FU) will not be considered.

Deadline for applications: Friday 25 January 2019
Start Date: 1 October 2019

Northumbria University is an equal opportunities provider and in welcoming applications for studentships from all sectors of the community we strongly encourage applications from women and under-represented groups.