Eligibility

Master’s students enrolled at a university other than the Technische Universität Dresden (TU Dresden) are eligible to apply. Master’s students enrolled at TU Dresden are invited to visit the section Joint Junior Researcher Programme (Master’s Thesis).

Objective

This initiative provides graduate students with the opportunity to write a master’s thesis under the guidance of supervisors at both UNU-FLORES and the respective university the candidate is enrolled at. Upon completion of the master’s thesis, successful candidates are expected to have developed a deeper knowledge, understanding, and capabilities in the context of the study area and will disseminate the research results in a way that is beneficial for the research area and for their career.

Criteria

The qualifications which will be considered in the application process include, but are not limited to, the following. The ideal candidate:

• is currently pursuing a master’s degree
• has proven proficiency in oral and written English
• is able to work within agreed timelines and to communicate clearly and effectively
• is a good team player with strong interpersonal skills
• demonstrates the ability to work in a multicultural environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity

We aim to be inclusive and to recruit students worldwide. Flexibility is key to our remote offer so that students can join alongside their studies and participate from anywhere in the world.

UNU is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities to apply and become part of the organisation.

Duration

The successful candidate shall complete and submit the master’s thesis for evaluation within an agreed timeline of not more than six months with both supervisors.

Important Information

Please note that this opportunity will not be financially remunerated. The purpose of the master’s thesis opportunity is not to lead to further employment at UNU-FLORES but to complement an applicant’s studies. Therefore, there should be no expectation of employment after completion of the master’s thesis. Also, please note that the medium of instruction at UNU-FLORES is English.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Topics

Framework for Functions in Building Sustainability Assessments

The building sector serves several functions for a steadily increasing global population. Being a major contributor to environmental and social impacts, it needs to reevaluate how to provide these functions while becoming more sustainable. Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment methods are used to determine the social, economic, and environmental impacts of buildings or building products and materials. Moreover, the spatial (e.g., resource availability) and temporal dimensions (e.g., end-of-life) are considered. As a central point of reference, they define functional units.

This thesis aims to review functional units (see Goldstein and Rasmussen 2018: 710) used in building sustainability assessment literature and map them in a framework. Taking the perspective of functionality across different building components and across different degrees of detail, the results shall allow the transition from incremental changes in singular functions to the identification of sustainability gains on a broader level.

For more information regarding the topic, please reach out to hatzfeld@unu.edu.

Supervisor: Tobias Hatzfeld, UNU-FLORES (hatzfeld@unu.edu)