Ph.D. Scholarship: Roaring ahead in the fissures of neoliberalism, the Belfast region case
Powerful tendencies bring both advantages and adverse impacts to territories. De-industrialization in the UK has been occurring over many decades and the adaptation process to new socio-economic realities has been equally long and difficult. Other territories’ competitive advantages place added pressure on pioneer regions, requiring them to innovate constantly, even if only to make mere incremental gains. Decades of research on how places adapt to changing conditions have tended to privilege some of the better-known cases. To what extent can we learn new lessons from studying the less well-known territories? How are some of those places dealing with competition from elsewhere? Can their stories help redefine and advance the existing agenda on placemaking, urban entrepreneurship, innovation, urban liveability, and wellbeing? New research on how secondary capital cities are shaping developmental processes has been published recently. However, places like the Belfast region have yet to be fully discovered.
We welcome proposals that align with the following research objectives:
(i) to identify emerging advances in community design and planning, the higher-ed and high-tech innovation clusters, and urban liveability, wellbeing, and tourism;
(ii) to pinpoint emerging cases in various cities and towns that constitute a distinct way of learning, working, and playing in the new economy of the post-pandemic era, while stewarding natural and cultural heritage assets; and
(iii) to distil lessons learned that can provide a clearer understanding of how territorial innovation is occurring regionally in Northern Ireland.
Eligibility is “Open for All Students”. Please consider forwarding it to your colleagues (and talented students) working in this thematic area.
Applications are due Monday, 24 Feb 2025.