ESR5: Development perspectives of village communities in rural Estonia (Tartu, Estonia)

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Host: Geomedia, Tartu/Estonia

1 PhD position, full-time

Duration: September 2014 – August 2017

The project will be analysing peripheralisation processes in rural Estonia related to demographics, migration, employment opportunities and social infrastructure in order to explore the development perspectives of village communities and opportunities for place-based policies. A community-based research approach supported by the Slovak University of Technology, enables an understanding of development processes that reflects day-to-day practices of people living in peripheral areas.

The main result of the project will be a thorough data base of indicators on the lowest spatial level and its analytical reflection.

The fellow will be integrated in the PhD curriculum at the “Doctoral School in Economics and Innovation” of the University of Tartu.

A secondment is foreseen at the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava/Slovakia.

Tasks:

–          national registers and population census databases will be used, based on which the analyses on aspects                of countryside life will be carried out and solutions are proposed for putting local development advantages              into use

–          strategic development documents on local government and regional level are explored and their                                 connections to national policy documents are analysed; interviews with key stakeholders

–          case studies are prepared in order to explain in practice the concrete solutions for countryside life                            advancement, including using EU structural funds’ support.

Requirements:

–          Masters’ degree in political or social sciences, geography or another discipline corresponding to the topic                 of the project

–          good knowledge of databases

–          fluent in English, preferably good knowledge of Estonian

–          Slovakian language skills will be an asset

–          good knowledge of IT-based communication tools

–          readiness to participate in secondments, conferences and workshops

–          excellent communication skills, capacity for teamwork, flexibility and an interest in interdisciplinary                          research

The fellow should contribute to the outreach of the project, especially by:

–          elaboration of a PhD thesis

–          participation in project and WP monographs, joint publications in high ranked journals

–          active participation at scientific conferences, policy workshops etc. at national and EU level

–          participation in media communication, in development of a web-based glossary, in creation of video clips                and podcasts and in spreading project information on EU level using European Commissions’                                      communication tools