PhD Position in Famines and Health Outcomes in Latin America and Africa at the Turn of the 20th Century

We are looking for

A PhD candidate in the field of history or economic history to study the causes and health outcomes of drought-induced famines in Latin America and/or Africa at the turn of the 20^th century.

Droughts have been intrinsically related to famine throughout history, resulting in harvest failure, public health crises and conflict over resources. Contrary to other world regions such as Europe and Asia, very little is known about such crises in Sub-Sahara Africa and Latin America, where drought contributed to major famines in Brazil (1876-9, 1896-1900), Sudan (1888-92), Ethiopia (1888-92), and elsewhere. This project focuses on the late 19th-early 20th century, a period characterized by major technological transitions influencing the production and transport of food crops as well as the treatment and prevention of disease. These developments radically altered the economic and health conditions during famines as compared with previous historical periods, and are therefore crucial for understanding responses to and the impact of later 20th-century food crises.

The candidate will develop their own research project by tackling two overarching questions: Under what conditions do droughts result in famine? What are the short- and long-term health effects of famine (e.g., mortality and morbidity)? They will be supervised by scholars at the Rural and Environmental History Group and will participate in the research program of this Group. They will also take part in the PhD-education programmes of Wageningen University and the N.W. Posthumus Institute, Research School for Economic and Social History. The candidate will be able to develop their personal research CV and will co-lecture one or two courses in economic, global and/or environmental history to social science students.

We ask

You are an ambitious, enthusiastic scholar and a team player, devoted to research and education in an international and interdisciplinary academic environment.
You also have:

• a completed MA/MSc in history or economics with a clear and demonstrable interest in economic history;
• demonstrable research skills (e.g., statistical, archival, writing);
• excellent command on English in oral and written form; proficiency in other languages (e.g., Spanish, Portuguese, French) would be an advantage;
• good organizational skills and the proven capacity to work with deadlines;
• enthusiasm for teaching and working with (international) students in a variety of programmes;
• strong motivation to develop your own research design;
• ability to work both independently and in small teams;
• great interest and curiosity in societal issues such as the causes and consequences of global inequality.

We offer

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our  Collective Labour Agreement include:

• sabbatical leave, study leave, and paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• the option to accrue additional holiday hours by working more, up to 40 hours per week;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed December bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

More information

For more information about this position, please contact Dr Daniel Gallardo Albarran, daniel.gallardoalbarran@wur.nl  or Dr Ingrid de Zwarte, ingrid.dezwarte@wur.nl.

For more information about the procedure, please contact Sandra Willemsen, Corporate recruiter or Bianca Aversteeg, Recruitment support via recruitment.ssg@wur.nl.

Do you want to apply?

You can apply directly using the apply button on the vacancy page on our website which will allow us to process your personal information with your approval.
To apply, please upload - next to your letter of motivation and your cv - the following documents:

• Full transcript of grades obtained during (Res)MA/MSc studies
• Two letters of reference, one of which preferably written by your thesis supervisor
• A 1.000 word outline of your research ideas related to the PhD project*

We are

The mission of Wageningen University and Research is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment.

With its roughly 30 branches, 6.500 employees and 12.500 students, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. An integrated approach to problems and the cooperation between various disciplines are at the heart of Wageningen’s unique approach. WUR has been named Best Employer in the Education category for 2019-2020.

These are the points our employees list as good reasons to come work at WUR: read the 5 reasons to come work at WUR.