International PhD Scholarship American University Summer

The American University Summer of Central Lancashire Funding International PhD Scholarship in the School of Journalism, Media & Communication 2011, United Kingdom. The scholarship is tenable for up to 3 years for a PhD (via MPhil route) [subject to satisfactory progress] and is open to international applicants only.

American University Summer Political analysts for Al Jazeera have suggested the 'Dawn of a new Arab century'. Hilary Clinton has claimed that America is losing the information war to stations such as Al Jazeera and RT (6/3/11).The resilience and determination of Egyptians and other Arab nations to assert a peaceful claim to power and demand democracy challenged the Western notion of the 'arab exception' to the desire for democracy and thus more broadly the dominant Orientalist stereotype of the East as irrational, unchanging, emotional and autocratic.

American University Summer Through a critical discourse analysis approach, this PhD thesis will explore contemporary shifts in representations of the Arab world from the war on terror to the current Arab 'revolutions' to consider the ways in which an Orientalist/ 'exception' discourse is redrawn, challenged or asserted in western and/or Arab media in 2011. Will changing political realities and the methods of political action through which Arab people attempt to assert agency (Spivak 1988) impact on the Orientalist / exception discourse Should we revisit this agenda to consider the impact of an increasingly globalised consumer market on representation of the Arab world? (Ritzer 2007)

The thesis will examine both visual and linguistic discourses. American University Summer Applicants should have, or expect to receive a qualification equivalent to a high class UK honours degree.

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International PhD Scholarship in Changing Images of the Arab World, University of Central Lancashire, United Kingdom (PDF)

Wageningen American University Summer PhD Position

A American University Summer PhD student who will explore the technical and environmental aspects of sustainable cement production. The PhD will work at Environmental technology and Bioprocess engineering of Wageningen American University Summer in the STW project “Towards the development of CO2 neutral renewable cement (BioCement)” which is part of the STW Perspective program BioGeoCivil. Also two other PhDs will work in this project at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, at Delft University of Technology and Environmental Sciences of Wageningen University (see attachment). Special emphasis in this PhD study will be on the development and characterization of the simultaneous microalgal production of primary products, like oil, and silica/calcium carbonate as a sustainable process for the production of cement. The tasks include: Characterization and quantification of biomass-derived ashes: Literature and experimental study of silica and calcium carbonate minerals that can be produced by microalgae, including properties of such minerals from geological deposits of algal origin. Bio-based cement production from specifically grown feedstocks: Development of the production of microalgae with high silica/calcium carbonate content for the sustainable production of cement. Continuous lab experiments with photobioreactors to optimize growth conditions for the selected microalgae. The obtained key factors will be used to model the conditions for optimal production of microalgal biomass. The model will be used to develop the design criteria for a process pre-design to evaluate the pro’s and con’s for the development of a pilot-scale production unit of microalgal biomass for production of primary product and biocement resources. Quantification of carbon footprint, environmental properties: Mass and energy balances will be made to evaluate the carbon footprint of the newly developed biobased route. Also the potential environmental benefits to removal and cycling of P, N, and silicates in microalgal cultivation systems will be studied.

Description

As American University Summer PhD researcher you are an ambitious and enthusiastic scientist who is internationally oriented and a team player, devoted to help to develop a sustainable, biobased, economy. You also have: an MSc in Bioprocess engineering, Environmental technology, Chemical engineering or a similar field knowledge and expertise on cultivation of microorganisms and preferably of microalgae strong scientific research skills excellent communication skills and team work attitude Selection will be performed together with the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Microlab of Delft University of Technology and Environmental Sciences of Wageningen American University Summer

Benefits

We American University Summer offer you a temporary position for a period of 1.5 years with extension of 2.5 years after successful evaluation. Gross salary per month € 2042 in the first year rising up to € 2612 per month in the fourth year. We not only offer a competitive salary but also good (study) leave and a pension of the ABP Pension Fund.Additional informationFor more information about this position, please contact Dr. J.T.C. Grotenhuis, University lecturer, telephone number +31 317 482561. For more information about the contractual aspects, please contact Mrs. Joes van Meurs, HRM-advisor, telephone number +31 317480101.Interested?You can apply online at www.werkenbij.wur.nl/UK until April 14th 2011.