The Oslo School of Architecture and Design (AHO) is a specialized university and a leading international architecture and design school that provides education within architecture, landscape architecture, urbanism and design. AHOs fields of knowledge focus on design in all scales, objects, buildings, urban areas and landscaping. AHO is organized into four institutes, and has approx. 700 students and 135 employees.

The Institute of Urbanism and Landscape is dedicated to research and teaching in the fields of landscape and urbanism. Particular attention is paid to the challenges posed by the design of the urban environment. The Institute emphasizes a broad multi-disciplinary approach to these challenges. The institute has a strong international profile, with a well-established network of partner institutions within practice, teaching and research. The Institute teaches in AHOs master program in architecture and offers a master in landscape architecture and a master of urbanism as well as a PhD.

PhD position – The Urbanization of Rural China

Institute of Urbanism and Landscape

The Oslo School of Architecture and Design is building a research environment on current Chinese urbanization processes. The disciplinary approach to the research is urban spatial organization, urban environment and urban architecture. The research environment is developed in cooperation with Chinese Universities, within a Chinese/European network of urban studies and in cooperation with other Norwegian Universities.

The Chinese government assumes that urban growth in the next twenty years will take place on the same scale as in the recent decades. A main intention in Chinese urban policies is to handle a main part of future urbanization in small and medium-size cities. This intention is considered to be a part of strategies to modernize and urbanize the Chinese countryside and in this way reduce regional differences and rural poverty.

The PhD position will contribute to acquire knowledge relevant to the critical discussions and implementation of these intentions and policies. The relevant disciplines within the academic framework of AHO are urbanism, landscape-urbanism and architecture.

Requirements

AHO is looking for a candidate with interest in research on global urban problems generally and the current urban development in China specifically. The theme of the research will be challenges relevant to new urban policies and strategies directed towards small and medium-size cities in rural areas.

Applicants should hold a Master’s Degree in Architecture or Landscape Architecture and have good general knowledge on urbanism. Candidates with equivalent and relevant background in other disciplines like Urban and Regional Planning or Human Geography will be taken into consideration.

Applicants should have a basic knowledge of Chinese language to be able to read Chinese sources and do fieldwork in China. Good skills in verbal and written English are required. The working language at AHO ​​is English.

The application must include:

• An application letter describing relevant background, motivation, research experience and network. (two A4 pages maximum).
• A tentative project outline of maximum 5 pages, formulating and discussing research tasks, types of problems and methodology.
• CV
• Certified copies of educational certificates, transcript of records, diplomas and letters of recommendation.
• List of publications and/or academic work
• Examples of work written (where relevant) by the applicant. Three works maximum.
• 2 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail address and telephone number)

Foreign applicants must attach an explanation of their university’s grading system. Please remember that the project proposal must be in English, all other documents should be in English or a Scandinavian language.

Evaluation criteria

The material for the PhD application will be assessed according to the following criteria:

The quality of the project description (outline)
The potential of the proposed research project within existing areas of expertise end emphasis within AHO
The applicant’s suitability for the research tasks
The academic competence of the applicant

Position & Salary

The length of the fellowship will be three or four years fulltime, dependent on whether the candidate is found qualified to undertake teaching duties as part of the PhD position. The position requires full time residency for the full 3- or 4- year period. Research stay at a relevant international academic institution is a possibility.

The PhD fellowships will start in September 2015. The PhD candidate is required to attend the AHO Research School in his or her first year. This is a mandatory introduction programme for all PhD candidates admitted to the PhD programme at AHO. The Research School runs for two semesters and has a total scope of 45 ECTS. Research School attendance is compulsory. After the mandatory first year a work-plan also implying stays at cooperating institutions in China, will be established.

PhD Research Fellow (SKO 1017), pay grade: 50 (NOK 429.700,-). From the salary there will be a mandatory deduction of the 2% as contribution to the State Pension Fund. Normal employment conditions for state employees apply for the position. AHO has its own company health service.

More information about PhD fellowships at AHO can be found at www.aho.no/en/RD/The-PhD-program/