Applications open: two new Climate Change Masters
11th November, 2019
Applications are now open for two new 11 month Masters Programmes in the Department of Geography: Anthropocene Studies and Holocene Climates, with our first intake in October 2020.
These Programmes will provide deep insights into the various processes of global change, both climates of the past (the Holocene MPhil) and the processes of human and planetary change and transformation taking place in the present and future (the Anthropocene MPhil). An inter-disciplinary concepts and methods course is common to both Programmes. The Anthropocene Studies course is led by prominent public intellectual on climate change Prof Mike Hulme and Holocene Climates is led by Prof Ulf Buntgen, Professor of Environmental Systems Analysis.
ERC Arctic Cultures Workshop, 9-10 January 2020
6th November, 2019
The ERC Arctic Cultures grant led by Richard Powell is holding its first Project Workshop – 'Knowledge Formations and Colonial Encounters in the Arctic', 9-10 January 2020 at the Scott Polar Research Institute.
The workshop is part of a series of research events bringing team members, leading international experts and interested scholars into dialogue around the themes of the project. The focus for this workshop specifically is to examine the co-production of Arctic knowledge formations through encounters between indigenous inhabitants and non-indigenous actors. Presentations will draw upon empirical research and theorisation to investigate spatial formations of the Arctic and the role of Northern actors and institutions.
All are welcome and attendance is free, but prior registration is required please. The full programme, abstracts and registration details are available on the project website.
Local people in the Nepal Himalayas value snow leopards as much for the potential personal benefits they gain from the animals' conservation as they do for the intrinsic value of this charismatic species, according to a study published in the journal PLOS ONE.
A team of researchers, including Jonathan Hanson, PhD student in the Department of Geography, who led the study, found that local attitudes towards the snow leopard were strongly linked to local views on the conservation methods used to protect them.
The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is considered a 'vulnerable species', with an estimated 4,000 left in the wild, and Protected Areas have been created to safeguard its habitat. However, the animals range over much larger areas, and successful co-existence with humans is key to their survival. The potential for Protected Areas to restrict, as well as benefit, local livelihoods makes it imperative to consider how snow leopard conservation measures are perceived by inhabitants and neighbours of these areas.
SPRI Director, Professor Julian Dowdeswell, awarded RSGS WS Bruce Medal
24th October, 2019
Congratulations to our Director, Professor Julian Dowdeswell, who has been awarded the Royal Scottish Geographical Society 2019 WS Bruce Medal, for his contribution to glaciology & polar science.
We were pleased to welcome RSGS Chief Executive Mike Robinson, as he visited the Scott Polar Research Institute to present Professor Dowdeswell with the award.
The University of Cambridge ESRC Doctoral Training Partnership [DTP] is pleased to offer an interdisciplinary studentship available for admission in October 2020. The studentship will be a one-year masters (MPhil Geographical Research) followed by three-year doctoral programme, and will be co-supervised by Dr Charlotte Lemanski (Department of Geography) and Prof Jaideep Prabhu (Judge Business School).
The studentship will explore entrepreneurial practices and state regulation of off-grid water and energy infrastructure (e.g. water sachets/bottles, storage tanks, boreholes, solar panels, diesel generators) in the cities of Johannesburg (South Africa) and Accra (Ghana). Primary fieldwork in these cities will involve ethnographic observation and qualitative semi-structured interviews with off-grid water and energy entrepreneurs, and state officials. While in the field the student will be supported by colleagues at the University of Ghana and University of Witwatersrand.
The deadline for applications is Tuesday 7th January 2020 (references must be received by then). Applicants should apply for the MPhil Geographical Research, indicating their interest in this project. Please enter the Studentship title under the research section of the application and indicate that you wish to receive funding under the Reasons to Apply section. In the Proposal section, please explain your interest in this particular project, why you feel you are a suitable applicant, and any ideas that you have for how you would wish to develop the project.
Please direct questions to Dr Charlotte Lemanski.
The Cambridge Geography Tripos turns 100 in 2019. We are celebrating with a programme including a Centenary Lecture Series, London public panel and Alumni Celebration Day. We look forward to welcoming you to one of our events soon.
© 2019 University of Cambridge
