Deadline: July 30, 2023.
The Right Livelihood College (RLC) Workshop Scholarships 2023
The Right Livelihood College (RLC) Campus at ZEF, University of Bonn, Germany, offers scholarships for PhD students from Africa, Asia and Latin America to participate in the transdisciplinary workshop “Sustainable agriculture and local livelihoods: Understanding complex systems and (re-)thinking change”, September 25-28, 2023 in Bonn.
The Right Livelihood College (RLC) is a global transdisciplinary education and research initiative of universities and the Right Livelihood Foundation, widely known as the ‘Alternative Nobel Prize’. The RLC Campus in Bonn is based at the Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn, and funded by the DAAD with funds from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
The workshop will take place in Bonn from September 25 (arrival date) to September 28 (departure date), 2023. PhD students and senior experts will be participating together with Nnimmo Bassey, Laureate of the “Alternative Nobel Prize” and Director of Health of Mother Earth Foundation, from Nigeria. Workshop language will be English.
Sustainable agriculture and local livelihoods have become ubiquitous notions in practice and sciences across the world. Beyond contributing more food production for growing populations and the conservation of ecosystems, sustainable agriculture has a high potential as an agent for positive rural transformation and pro-poor growth in many countries of the so-called Global South. However, the prevalent paradigm of economic development, often coupled with agricultural industrialization, leads to massive repercussions on the sustainability of rural systems and on farmers’ livelihoods. Systems are changing rapidly and tremendously. Hence questions have to be addressed on the current and future role of agriculture and local livelihoods in the context of economic growth, the conservation of ecosystems and food production – and generally on the future of rural areas in the so-called Global South.
Upon this backdrop, the workshop will provide remarkable case studies from rural areas in Africa, Asia and Latin America, conceptual approaches and current discourses. PhD students will have the opportunity to present and discuss their own research work in a cohesive transdisciplinary way by building on each participant’s expertise and experiences.
The workshop targets the following objectives:
- to strengthen knowledge and understanding of concepts and methodological approaches,
- to critically assess different pathways of agriculture, local livelihoods and rural development,
- to present own case studies from Africa, Asia and Latin America,
- to promote transmission of expertise and experience as well as networking between PhD students, an “Alternative Nobel Prize” Laureate and other experts working from around the world.
The scholarships will cover all costs for travel within Germany, hotel accommodation in Bonn, full catering, and working materials. The workshop will be embedded in a variety of social and cultural side-events.
Eligibility
PhD students from Africa, Asia and Latin America who study at a University in Germany, from disciplines in natural sciences, social sciences, economic sciences, development studies, and environmental sciences. Fluent English is mandatory. Women applications are particularly welcome.
How to apply?
Your application should consist of:
a. E-Mail application, indicating your PhD topic, the institute and university in Germany you are studying at, and the place from which you aim to travel to Bonn
b. CV in Europass Format
c. English abstract of your PhD project (not more than 300 words)
The deadline is July 30, 2023. Selected participants will be informed by August 8, 2023.
Please send your applications via e-mail to Dr. Till Stellmacher: t.stellmacher@uni-bonn.de