The Research Committee 21 (RC21) of the International Sociology Association, the International Journal of Urban and Regional Research (IJURR) and the IJURR Foundation invite applications for 25 places on our 6th Doctoral School in Comparative Urban Studies, to be held in Delhi (India) from 7th to 21st September 2019.

You can also download the text of this call as a .pdf file:  Download this call

RC21 – the Research Committee 21 on Sociology of Urban and Regional Development of the International Sociological Association – is a non-profit scientific association established in 1970 to promote theory and research in the sociology of urban and regional development, and – in so doing – create an international community of scholars who will advance the field.

The IJURR Foundation Ltd (previously Foundation for Urban and Regional Studies Ltd) was set up in 1995 as a charity. Its main source of income is the surplus generated by the International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, run by a wholly-owned subsidiary of the IJURR Foundation. The aims of IJURR Foundation are to ‘promote and improve social scientific research, education and scholarship in the field of urban, rural and regional studies’.

The School is being held in conjunction with the RC21 Conference (18^th-21^st September) held in Delhi on the theme of “In and Beyond the City: Emerging Ontologies, Persistent Challenges and Hopeful Futures” (see https://rc21delhi2019.com/). The School is co-organised by RC21 and IJURR in collaboration with scholars from several institutions in Delhi: Delhi Contemporary, the Center for Policy Research, Ambedkar University, and the Institute of Economic Growth. The venue for the School will be the Institute of Economic Growth (on the North Campus of the University of Delhi). The venue for the conference will be the India Habitat Centre.

The School is aimed at PhD students at the beginning of their doctoral studies. As in previous years (see https://www.rc21.org/en/summer-schools/), the School will focus on the interaction of theory and methodology in the study of cities. The School will address three broad themes:

1. The value added of comparative research in urban studies and the changing nature of the urban question. How and why are cities across the world changing, and with what consequences?
2. What (new) research tools and methodologies are appropriate to making sense of the changes occurring in contemporary urban society? How should we make use of, or combine, qualitative research methods and the analysis of quantitative data?
3. Are our theories appropriate for the study of contemporary urban form and society, especially in the global South where we often apply theories of the global North without regard to the specificities of old and new urban contexts in the South?

Format

The School provides PhD students at the beginning of their doctoral studies with an opportunity to learn from each other and from established scholars from diverse disciplines and parts of the world, through both formal classes and informal interactions The program includes 10 days of activities following by attendance at the RC21 conference. Sessions will typically comprise presentations by one or two senior scholars in the morning, covering the theory and practice of comparison, linking theory and method, and providing insights into the use of various qualitative (and to a lesser extent quantitative) methods. Classes will focus on the global North and global South and will draw from the scholars’ own research. In the afternoons, students will have fruitful discussions with their peers and guest scholars on individual papers presenting their doctoral research, to link the research methods and issues being addressed with their own work. In addition, a practical session will also be dedicated to how to get work published. A number of guest lectures, film screenings, as well as site visits and encounters with local scholars and activists in Delhi, are also scheduled. The draft programme will be available in due course in March-April 2019 and then regularly updated at: https://www.rc21.org/en/summer-schools/summer-school-2019).

Confirmed contributors and speakers for the 2019 School include:

Prof. Alberta Andreotti (University of Milan-Bicocca, Italy, Sociology)

Prof. Yasmeen Arif (University of Delhi, India, Sociology)

Dr Claire Colomb (University College London, UK, Planning/Sociology)

Prof. Eduardo Marques (University of São Paulo, Brazil, Political Science and Metropolitan Studies)

Dr Sonia Roitman (University of Queensland, Australia, Planning/Sociology/Development Studies)

Prof. Hilary Silver (Brown University, USA, Sociology)

Prof. AbdouMaliq Simone (University of Sheffield, UK, Urban Institute, Sociology/Urban Studies)

Prof. Sanjay Srivastava (Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi, India, Sociology)

Prof. Liza Weinstein (Northeastern University, USA, Sociology)

… and others will be confirmed soon!

Participants will be required to prepare a number of readings in advance, and to prepare and send a piece of writing on their research before attending the School. Participants will receive access to a shared folder with required readings and materials for the School. The language of the School will be English. Students are also invited to participate in the RC21 conference (18-21 September 2019) which follows the School.

The joint coordinators of the Doctoral School 2019 are:

• RC21 Board members: Dr Claire Colomb (University College London, UK, Planning/Sociology) and Dr Sonia Roitman (University of Queensland, Australia, Planning/Sociology/Development Studies)
• IJURR Board member: Prof. Liza Weinstein (Northeastern University, USA, Sociology)

·       … with support from members of the Delhi Conference Local Organising Committee: Prof. Yasmeen Arif (University of Delhi, India, Sociology) and Prof. Sanjay Srivastava (Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi, India, Sociology).

 

Fees and scholarships

For students registered for a doctoral research degree in an academic institution located in countries classified in the ISA category A (see https://www.isa-sociology.org/en/membership/table-of-economies-by-category):

• The full fee for the course is EUR 750. This amount covers the organisational costs and includes accommodation for 14 nights (in single rooms in hostels or halls of residence), a welcome and a final reception/dinner, online access to readings and teaching materials, the registration fee for the RC21 conference, and RC21 membership for 4 years. The payment of the fee will be due in June 2019 by bank transfer, once the results of the selection process are known.
• A small number of partial scholarships (= subsidizing a portion of the fee) for students currently registered for a doctoral research degree in an academic institution located in countries classified in the ISA category A (see: https://www.isa-sociology.org/en/membership/table-of-economies-by-category) will be available, subject to funding.

For students currently registered for a doctoral research degree in an academic institution located in countries classified in the ISA category B & C (see https://www.isa-sociology.org/en/membership/table-of-economies-by-category):

• Funding from the IJURR Foundation and RC21 allows us to offer approximately 15 full scholarships to students currently registered for a doctoral research degree in an academic institution located in countries classified in the ISA category B & C. Scholarships will cover reasonable travel expenses (in economy class), accommodation for 14 nights (in single rooms in hostels or halls of residence), a welcome and a final reception, online access to readings and teaching materials, the registration fee for the RC21 conference, and RC21 membership for 4 years. The scholarships will notcover daily subsistence expenses (meals, drinks, local transportation costs) and the costs of a visa.
• Important note: The travel expenses of student participants who are granted a full scholarship will have be paid upfront by the participants, and will be reimbursed immediately after the School upon presentation of the corresponding receipts and original tickets.

Application procedure

Eligibility: The School is aimed at PhD students at the beginning of their doctoral studies (1st or 2nd year ideally), who are still finalizing their research design and methodological approaches and have not started – or not yet finished – their field work. In exceptional cases the selection committee will also consider the applications of students finishing a Research Master’s degree who are planning to continue with doctoral studies. The School is not suitable for students who are at the end of their PhD studies, as it focuses on introducing and discussing the use of various research designs and methods, and thinking about the development of comparisons in urban studies.

In order to apply for the 6^th RC21-IJURR Doctoral School in Comparative Urban Studies, interested candidates are required to:

1) Fill in the online application form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScbiZdbA7-PQ7d39i-71mL0OPC0TiFWmOaMnQdJErivcsKbBw/viewform?usp=sf_link

AND

2) Send the following documents to this email address: RC21summerschool@gmail.com

• A CV in English;
• A motivation statement following the template provided below, including the names and contact details of two referees;
• If you are presenting at the RC21 conference in Delhi, a copy of your RC21 conference abstract.

AND

3) Ask two scholars who know you well to send two reference letters by email directly to RC21summerschool@gmail.com (sent from their institutional email address, rather than personal, if it is possible)

The deadline for application (both the submission of the online form and the submission of all the above-mentioned documents sent at the email address provided) is SUNDAY 31 MARCH 2019 at midnight GMT.

The selection process will take place in April 2019 (the applications will be assessed by at least 4 senior scholars coordinating or participating in the Doctoral School, from the IJURR Board or the RC21 Board). You will be informed about the outcome of your application at the end of April/early May 2019.

 

6th RC21-IJURR Doctoral School in Comparative Urban Studies

Delhi, India, 7th-21st September 2019

MOTIVATION STATEMENT from [NAME]

 (maximum 3 pages of A4)

1. Briefly introduce yourself and your academic/disciplinary background.

2. Why do you want to participate in the School and how would you benefit from it?

3. What specific perspectives, experience, and expertise would you bring into the discussions during the School?

4. What is the topic of your postgraduate or doctoral research? Provide a short abstract (half a page), including the geographical focus, comparative nature (if relevant) and/or case-studies

5. Which research methods are you thinking of using in your research?

6. Which urban theories or key concepts are you thinking of using in your research?

7. Please provide the name and full contact details (including e-mail addresses) of two academic referees who know you well, and specify your link to them. You need to ask the referees to send a reference letter by e-mail directly to RC21summerschool@gmail.com (sent from their institutional e-mail address, rather than personal, if it is possible)