ARUA seeks post-doctoral fellows for urbanisation project

The African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA), a partnership made up of 16 universities with the objective of promoting research excellence on the continent, is seeking to recruit post-doctoral fellows to undertake research in emerging trends on mobility and urbanisation in Africa.

Under an initiative called “Mobility and Sociality in Africa’s Emerging Urban”, fellows will undertake research over a period of five years, while being embedded for at least one year at a selected ARUA member university.

Up to five member institutions in which fellows can opt to carry out their work have been selected, including the universities of Cape Town and the Witwatersrand in South Africa, and the universities of Zimbabwe, Ghana, and Nairobi.

“This initiative is a scholarly response to unprecedented levels of urbanisation and mobility driven by conflict, ambition, and ‘respatialising’ economies. It is intended to develop African-based contributions to theories of human mobility and transforming modes of social engagement, authority, representation, and expression,” according to the announcement.

It says that the initiative aims to cultivate a “generation of African scholars dedicated to reshaping global social theory and scholarly conversations on mobility, cities, and social change”.

While only those who have acquired PhD qualifications over the past three years are qualified to apply, preference will be given to those who have graduated from ARUA member universities.
Applications sent electronically are due by 1 March.

Founded in 2015, ARUA aims to promote research excellence in areas of natural sciences, humanities, and social sciences and is currently based at the University of Ghana. – Compiled by Maina Waruru.