The Reuse of Decommissioned Prisons in the Heritage Industry: Comparative Research in China and UK

The proposed project takes a comparative approach to examine ethical, commercial, and academic issues in the re-use of former prisons by the heritage industry. It focuses on transformation and trans-institutionalization of defunct prisons and considers prison reuse from an interdisciplinary perspective – history, criminology and architecture. In particular, it raises questions on how tourism sector’s commodification of heritage may have reshaped our accepted norms for the present use of the past; and how contemporary societies’ perception of prisons – and subsequently discernments of historical prisoners and crimes – may have been re-conceptualized by the new use. Investigation into different societies’ attitudes toward the reuse of prison structures and sites will further broaden our understanding about cultural nuances in perception and variance in ability to transcend the stigma of the past use. The research findings will provide a guide for heritage-experts as to how buildings once used for punishment and incarceration can now be re-purposed for the leisure and education sector, bringing new understandings to the public about their architectural and social pasts.

For more information about doctoral scholarship and PhD programme at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU): Please visit: http://www.xjtlu.edu.cn/en/admissions/phd.html

http://www.xjtlu.edu.cn/en/admissions/phd/feesscholarships.html

Requirements
The candidate should have a first class or upper second class honours degree, or a master’s degree (or equivalent qualification) in a subject relevant to the proposed project, such as architecture, history, historic conservation, heritage management or museum studies. The proposed project entails a great deal of work to forge links and work collaboratively with heritage and museum sectors; conduct field studies, collect empirical data in China and the UK; and implement data analysis. A competent candidate should therefore possess good communication skills and understandings of qualitative research methods and have abilities to conduct research independently. Evidence of good spoken and written English is essential. The candidate should have an IELTS score of 6.5 or above, or an equivalent qualification, if the first language is not English. This position is open to all qualified candidates irrespective of nationality.

Degree
The student will be awarded a PhD degree from the University of Liverpool (UK) upon successful completion of the program.

How to Apply
Interested applicants are advised to email [Email Address Removed] the following documents and copy [Email Address Removed] (please put the project title in the subject line).
• CV
• Two reference letters
• Personal statement outlining your interest in the position
• Proof of English language proficiency (an IELTS score of above 6.5 or equivalent is required
• Verified school transcripts in both Chinese and English (for international students, only the English version is required)
• Verified certificates of education qualifications in both Chinese and English (for international students, only the English version is required)

Informal enquiries may be addressed to Dr. Yiwen Wang ([Email Address Removed]). The personal profile of the project supervisors are linked below: Dr. Wang http://www.xjtlu.edu.cn/en/departments/academic-departments/urban-planning-and-design/staff/yiwen-wang; Prof Godfrey https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/sociology-social-policy-and-criminology/staff/barry-godfrey/