UK Africa policy after Labour: Coalition, Austerity, Continuity and Change

The envisaged PhD project will seek to analyse the legacy of Labour government for UK Africa policy and relations. The project will take place alongside an ESRC funded seminar series on this subject (2014-2016) and as such the project may focus on any theme relevant to this series. The series is developing a new network of researchers on this topic over two years and has strong networks with policymakers and the third sector. The PhD project would be at the heart of this network and the researcher would be expected to engage with the series and any research projects and publication opportunities which emerge from it. We would particularly welcome applications for PhD study around the following topics:

1. Analysis of whether and how the creation and work of the UK Department for International Development has transformed UK Africa relations
2. Analysis of attempts to join up UK policymaking in defence, foreign policy and development with relation to Africa. This may be achieved through single case or comparative study.
3. Analysis of the changing role of aid and development in UK-Africa relations. Again, this could take the form of a single or multi-country study, or in depth UK government/ministry policy analysis.
4. Analysis of the role and function of Africa in the identities of UK political parties (this would be co-supervised between Dr Beswick and a UK politics specialist in POLSIS)

More detail is available on the Seminar Series website or from the proposed supervisor: http://www.open.ac.uk/socialsciences/bisa-africa/uk-africa-policy/

To find out more about studying for a PhD at the University of Birmingham, including full details of the research undertaken in the School, the funding opportunities available for your subject, and guidance on making your application, you can order a copy of our Doctoral Research Prospectus, at: www.birmingham.ac.uk/drp