USYD-UofG Collaborative PhD Scholarship

This collaborative PhD scholarship between the University of Sydney and the University of Glasgow offers a unique opportunity to investigate the epistemic infrastructures shaping planetary health governance in Southeast Asia. The project critically examines how knowledge systems, including material, institutional, and discursive frameworks, influence environmental policy, climate change responses, and the distribution of epistemic authority. It interrogates the implications of 'green' and 'smart' development initiatives, which often result in land transformation, environmental destruction, and displacement of local and indigenous communities, despite being presented as planetary health interventions.

Central research questions address epistemic injustices, the invisibility of certain knowledge forms in policy processes, and the potential for alternative infrastructures to enable more just and pluralistic governance. Drawing on science and technology studies, global governance scholarship, and multispecies ethnography, the project positions Southeast Asia as a laboratory for interventions, challenging universalising Anthropocene narratives and contributing to decolonising planetary health scholarship. Case studies include controversial sustainable development projects such as Indonesia’s Nusantara Capital City, Malaysia’s Forest City, and the Philippines’ New Clark City, highlighting how techno-scientific knowledge legitimises large-scale interventions while marginalising alternative ways of knowing and living with environmental change.

The research aims to reveal how epistemic infrastructures produce uneven governance outcomes and to make visible the power relations embedded in knowledge production, opening pathways toward more equitable planetary health futures. The successful candidate will join the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Sydney, a leading social science environment with research themes in health, markets, governance, inequality, and environment. The candidate will also be part of the vibrant PhD and research community at the University of Glasgow’s College of Social Sciences, contributing to interdisciplinary agendas for social justice and equitable societies.

The project aligns with the College’s Interdisciplinary Research Theme “Peaceful, Secure and Empowered Societies” and the Research Network “Skills and Livelihoods for Better Futures,” addressing grand challenges such as just transitions and socio-economic inequality. It also resonates with the Glasgow Research Beacon “Addressing Inequalities” and supports four United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: No Poverty, Good Health and Well-being, Quality Education, and Reduced Inequalities.

The scholarship is available as a full-time, three-year PhD programme commencing in January 2027. Funding includes an annual stipend of $AUD 42,754 (2026 rate), tuition fees covered for both domestic and international students, a one-off Sydney Global Mobility Joint PhD Travel Scholarship ($5000 AUD), and a fee waiver for UofG tuition fees. The candidate’s home institution will be the University of Sydney, with years one and three spent there and year two at the University of Glasgow. The candidate will have opportunities to present at workshops, seminars, and conferences, and participate in research clusters and networks.

Eligibility requires a First Class Honours degree or a Master’s by Research with outstanding results (at least 80%) or overseas equivalent, full-time study, demonstrable interest in the topic, ability to enroll/register at both institutions, and physical presence at USYD for commencement. A background in Anthropology, Sociology, or Science and Technology Studies is desirable, as is research or working experience in Southeast Asia. Entry requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy (Arts and Social Sciences) at USYD and the Social & Public Policy, PhD at UofG must be met.

Applications are open until April 21, 2026. For further details and to apply, visit the provided FindAPhD link.