PhD Opportunity – Centre for Economics, Policy and History (CEPH)
Queen’s Business School is offering three fully funded studentships for three years. These studentships are intended to support research into a substantive area of economic history. The application deadline is 3 February 2023.
Economic history is an interdisciplinary field that uses the toolkit of economics to answer historical questions or solve historical puzzles. Like other historical scholars, economic historians have typically been hesitant to learn direct policy lessons from the past. Their understandable fear is that the past can offer almost any lesson, and so in the end offers none.
The aim of this project is to change this view. Applied history has re-emerged as an approach to historical scholarship which brings rigour to lessons learnt from the past. Candidates will be working on pure academic economic history research that addresses a historical question or solves a historical puzzle. But they will then also be expected to adopt the applied history approach and translate their research into usable knowledge that can inform policymakers today.
Understanding the deep historical roots of major challenges like global inequalities and climate change can help policymakers to address their consequences. Taking history seriously will significantly enrich the study of economics. Economic history research may help to inform policy initiatives relevant to meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Applicants must apply with a 2,000-word research proposal in any topic in economic history which has scope for policy relevance. Although not required, applicants may wish to relate their research idea to one of three themes:
1.Institutions of growth and cooperation
2.Development and wellbeing in comparative perspective
3.Borders and the location of economic activity
Successful candidates will be part of the Centre for Economics, Policy and History (CEPH), a new Government of Ireland-funded centre of excellence that links economic historians at Queen’s University Belfast with Trinity College Dublin. Successful candidates will be based in Belfast. As part of the terms of this scholarship, they will be expected to make an extended research visit to Dublin.
Candidates should ideally hold or be in the process of completing a Master’s degree in economic history, economics, finance or a related degree in the social sciences.
Alternatively, applicants with an undergraduate degree in economics or related field may be considered if they have completed substantive quantitative training as part of that degree, and can additionally demonstrate significant post-graduation research experience, for example by having completed a “predoc” research assistance scheme.
The studentships are intended to support research into a substantive area of economic history under the supervision Dr Chris Colvin and/or Professor John Turner, in addition to other members of CEPH based at Queen’s University Belfast and Trinity College Dublin.
The application deadline is 3 February 2023. The studentships must commence no later than 1 October 2023.
For more information and how to apply CLICK HERE.
