Academy Asfari Fellowship 2018, UK
Chatham House is pleased to invite applicants for the Academy Asfari Fellowship in the Queen Elizabeth II Academy for Leadership in International Affairs.
Eligibility criteria
The fellowship is open to citizens of Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine or Syria, and displaced citizens of these countries living elsewhere in the Middle East. Applications will also be accepted from applicants holding dual nationality which includes one of these countries. It is required that the applicant holds a completed BA degree or equivalent, Masters degree with an international focus is preferred. The fellowship is aimed at candidates at the mid-stage of their career and who come from academia, NGOs, business, government departments, civil society or the media. They should possess knowledge of, and an interest in, one of the policy-related challenges laid out in the research topics in ‘Research Topics.’
Remuneration and benefits
The fellow will receive a monthly stipend of £2,228. Modest provision is made for the costs of relocation, fieldwork, and possible publication costs.
Fellowship structure
A fellow’s time will be split between three key areas:
- Completing a personal research project of the fellow's own design undertaken with the guidance of a Chatham House expert, (approximately 50%).
- Contributing to the ongoing research activities of their host research team and other Chatham House teams as appropriate (approximately 20%).
- Participation in the Academy’s Leadership Programme (approximately 30%). The Leadership Programme is a key part of the Academy fellowships. It provides fellows with the opportunity to develop their knowledge, skills, network and self-awareness, which they can then draw upon in their future careers as effective leaders in their field.
Leadership Programme
All Academy fellows participate in, and contribute to, the Academy’s Leadership Programme which encompasses the following components:
- Intensive induction week
Academy fellowships begin with an intensive five-day induction week at Chatham House to become familiarized with the elements of the fellowships and the Leadership Programme, meet their host research programme, and have their first personal development coaching session. - Weekly discussion seminars
These sessions highlight the principal substantive and skills-based areas the Academy believes vital for informed and effective international leadership. Fellows are expected to contribute to and learn from one another’s experience. - Global Introductions off-site visits
These half-day visits take place approximately every two months and allow fellows to meet with leaders and senior decision-makers from a variety of sectors. Previous visits have included the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Department for International Development, Standard Chartered, and Thomson Reuters. - Leadership workshops
Every two months fellows participate in half-day workshops focusing on specific aspects of leadership such as ‘Leadership in a new role’ and ‘Fostering innovation and entrepreneurship’ - Project presentations
Fellows present updates on their research projects which help fellow develop presentation skills, provide a valuable forum for peer-review and to think about and analyse issues outside their own area of expertise. - Personal development coaching
Fellows join the Academy seeking to grow their self-awareness through monthly one-on-one sessions with a dedicated coach, with whom they set personal development objectives which they work to meet during their fellowship and beyond. - Media training
Fellows learn how to interview effectively on television and radio, culminating in a mock interview from which they receive feedback on their presentation style and any areas of improvement - ‘Leaders Who Lunch’
Academy fellows will have priority in participating in the ‘Leaders Who Lunch’ series giving them the opportunity to discuss leadership experiences and lessons in an informal setting with acknowledged leaders from government, business, media and the non-profit sectors. - Career mentors
Fellows have the option to have an external career mentor during their fellowship. Mentors are independent of the Academy and Chatham House and are picked individually for each fellow based on their career objectives.
How long is the fellowship?
The fellowship is for a 10-month term from mid-September 2018 to mid-July 2019.
Research topics
Fellows are hosted by and based in research teams at Chatham House. During the fellowship, the fellow will conduct a research project of their own design which falls within the research topics below.
The parameters for the research topics have been designed in broad terms to allow applicants to devise a project that appeals to their own research interests.
Research proposals which are framed both in terms of a research topic below and the interests and priorities of the Asfari Foundation such as young people, employment or education are particularly encouraged.
Below are the research topics for 2018-19.
Research topics with the Middle East and North Africa Programme
Cross-border dynamics and transnational movements
From the war economy to smuggling to the operation of extremist groups, borders in the Middle East and North Africa region have become increasingly porous, creating zones of limited governance. Proposals should have a civil society focus and might touch upon the role of civil society within war economies or in providing resistance to terror groups.
The deep state in conflict regions, its implications for post-war reconstruction and civil society
Conflict regions in the Middle East often witness the existence of a deep state, which is a network of individuals or entities that influence state institutions from within. Proposals should address the implications for civil society in the context of stabilisation, recovery and normalisation of areas formerly controlled by ISIS, such as restoration of security and the delivery of services, the return of displaced people and local reconciliation among communities and civil society, particularly from a comparative perspective.
Prospects for non-state actors in the Middle East
With the rise of armed groups and other non-state actors, the social contract in the region is changing. Proposals may address how civil society is advancing positive changes to the social contract, what the long-term prospects are for non-state actors, and their impact on the state and society.
Research topics with the Centre on Global Health Security
The rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the Middle East
Across the world, NCDs are increasingly becoming the biggest individual health security threat that populations and governments are facing. In 2018, the Centre on Global Health Security will embark on a programme to reflect this epidemiological shift, looking at governance issues related to NCDs.
NCDs are linked to rapid economic growth and urbanization in recent years. To help develop its work on NCDs globally, the Centre is thus seeking a fellow to work on a specific case study related to NCD governance in the Middle East. Research questions are encouraged to focus on the commercial determinants of NCDs, for example, conflicts of interest between health and industry stakeholders in the region.
Healthcare in conflict
Healthcare in conflict continues to be an important issue for the Centre on Global Health Security. We currently have projects covering: attacks on healthcare in Syria, cholera and food insecurity in Yemen and healthcare in areas controlled by non-state armed groups.
In 2018, the Centre will work with partners to develop tools for measuring the public health impacts of conflict, and look more closely at issues around the health-humanitarian-development nexus. The Centre welcomes applicants from health and/or humanitarian backgrounds to undertake research that aligns with any of these current or future projects. In particular, we would be pleased to welcome applicants interested in looking at Universal Health Coverage in conflict-affected settings.
This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:
https://www.chathamhouse.org/academy/fellowships/asfari?utm_source=ARMACAD.info&utm_medium=ARMACAD.info