Expected start date:

2021/12/01

Expected end date:

2032/12/31

Institute:

UNU-FLORES

Project Status:

Ongoing

Project Type:

Capacity Development

Project Manager :

Daniel Karthe

Introduction

NEXtra, or “Resource Nexus for Sustainability Transformations” offers opportunities to conduct doctoral studies under joint supervision by experts from TU Dresden, UNU-FLORES and IOER. Under the EPOS (development-oriented postgraduate studies) funding programme, German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) will support doctoral candidates from the Global South. From 2023 until 2030, we expect annual intakes of approximately 7 to 8 scholarship-funded candidates. A unique feature is that all candidates and supervisors will be connected to the UN system, an approach that is facilitated by regular consultations with the United Nations Development Cooperation Office (UN-DCO) in New York. 

 Scope of the Programme

Students from the Global South and with different disciplinary backgrounds will work on sustainability transformations using a Resource Nexus perspective.
The focus of the programme is on interlinkages between environmental resources, and synergies and tradeoffs in their management.
Doctoral students are expected to turn into “agents of transformation” who will contribute towards sustainable development in their home regions and beyond.

Scholarships, Applications and Deadlines

Approximately 7 to 8 scholarships for doctoral candidates from the Global South will be available annually, starting from 2023. The call for applications for the first cohort (from 2023) has been closed. Please check this website for updates on the topics of the next cohort (expected in April 2023).

Required documents

If you consider an application to NEXtra, you may already prepare the following documents.

Completed and signed EPOS Checklist: epos_checklist.pdf (daad.de)
Completed application form for a DAAD scholarship https://go.unu.edu/ptQF1 CV that is dated and signed, based on the Europass format (http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/); publications (if any) shall be listed at the bottom of the CV
Letter of motivation including signature
Research proposal (max 13,000 characters including spaces, plus references) with the following sections: a) Background and motivation; b) State of the art and current scientific discussion; c) Research approach and methodology; d) Work plan; e) References. Abstract of your Master thesis (max 1 page)
Reference letter from your academic supervisor including a letterhead and signature.
Letter of recommendation from your current or most recent employer, including a letterhead, stamp and signature
Certificate(s) of employment that prove a minimum of two years of relevant employment
Proof of language skills (normally IELTS or TOEFL for English; if the medium of previous academic education was English, please provide supporting evidence)
Proofs of internships (if any)
Copies of academic degrees and transcript of records for both bachelor’s and master’s degrees (including an explanation of the grading scale)
Copy of higher secondary school certificate

Welcome to our first cohort!

We are happy to soon welcome our first cohort of doctoral students who are currently preparing for their research stays in Dresden. They will be from India, Malawi, Myanmar, Sudan and Thailand, and work on sustainabability transformations in South and Southeast Asia as well as Southern Africa and the Sahel. Topics include the management of mangrove forests, urban human-nature partnerships, drivers and implications of land cover change, and the application of an extended cost-benefit approach for evaluating climate change adaptation and mitigation measures. The doctoral researchers and their topics will be featured on the UNU-FLORES and our partner websites (TU Dresden and/or IOER, depending on personal affiliations) once they arrive.

Contact

If you have questions or would like to know more about this doctoral programme, please contact the programme coordination by email: nextra@unu.edu

Funding

This project is funded by German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).