Call for Applications (Governance)

PhD Scholarship in
Policy-Driven Electronic Governance

 
UNU-IIST, Macau SAR China
Scholarship Code: PHD-EGOV-1
The United Nations University - International Institute for Software Technology (UNU-IIST), located in Macau, is accepting applications for one PhD candidate scholarship to carry out research as part of the program on Electronic Governance for Sustainable Development.
 
 

Research Topic

 
The PhD candidate will study the organization, behaviour, evolution and value systems underpinning ICT-enabled governance networks - networks of government organizations, businesses, social enterprises, volunteer groups and other non-state actors, all working together, supported by ICT tools to deliver public services, create public value and generally contribute to the larger policy objectives. The research will focus on the enabling and mediating role of ICT in such networks to ensure, for instance: continued alignment between network-wide goals and the changing policy context; consistency between individual and network-wide goals and value systems; dispute and conflict resolution to resolve differences between network members; compliance with legal and regulatory obligations; sensitivity to local culture and adherence to locally-acceptable behavior and value systems; etc.
 
The research will involve: participating in real-life projects; collaborating with domain experts and researchers from public administration, political sciences and related fields; formulating, testing and validating theories based on project- and literature-generated data; and developing prototype software and policy models and recommendations.
 

Selection Criteria

 
Candidates for the position should have:
  • Master degree in information systems, information technology,   computer science or a related discipline;
  • Background and experience in Electronic Governance, or   socio-economic applications of ICT;
  • Very good English writing skills;
  • Ability to work both independently and in a team.
 

Study and Scholarship Conditions

 
The PhD candidate will be enrolled in the double degree PhD programme in ICT for Sustainable Development of the United Nations
University and the University of Pisa, will work under the direction of Dr. Tomasz Janowski, Senior Research Fellow of UNU-IIST and Head of the UNU-IIST Center for Electronic Governance, and supervision by Dr. Adegboyega Ojo or Dr. Elsa Estevez, Academic Programme Officers of UNU-IIST, and a professor at the University of Pisa. The duration of the study and the scholarship is 42 months, of which at least 6 months will be spent in Pisa. Starting date is 3 September 2012.
 
Monthly stipend will be USD 1,000 during the stay in Macau and USD 1,500 during the stay in Pisa. Health insurance is provided free of charge. During the stay in Macau accommodation (except utility costs) is also provided free of charge.
 
 

PhD Degree

 
Upon successful completion of the graduation requirements the PhD candidate will be awarded a PhD in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and will receive two distinct PhD diplomas from the United Nations University and from the University of Pisa.
 
 

Admission Requirements and Application

 
  • Applicants must have been awarded or should plan to be awarded the required Master degree no later than 31 July 2012.
  • Applications should be sent via email to: scholarship-egov@iist.unu.edu.
  • Details about the application procedure and admission requirments are in the PhD General Call for Applications available at:
    http://iist.unu.edu/academic-programs/phd-program
  • The Scholarship Code (PHD-EGOV-1) should be indicated in the PhD Application Form.
 

Closing Date

 
Closing date for application is 31 May 2012.