Academy Asia Fellowship 2018, UK
Chatham House is pleased to invite applicants for the Academy Asia Fellowship in the Queen Elizabeth II Academy for Leadership in International Affairs.
Eligibility Criteria
The fellowship is open to citizens of Afghanistan, Australia, the People’s Republic of China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Pakistan and South Korea. 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 2017 to mid-July 2018.
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.
Below are the research topics for the 2018-19 fellowships.
Research topics with the Asia-Pacific Programme
Technology, society and Asia
Across Asia there have been massive developments in technology, internet governance and development of ICT infrastructure. China has been increasingly playing a leading role internationally on internet governance.
Mobile internet, advances in computing power and Big Data, artificial intelligence, automation, machine learning, robotics and nanotechnology are driving the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
New technologies could provide potential solutions to social and economic issues but poverty remains a barrier along with social norms that may limit the space for women in digital economies.
This project would focus on policies whereby technology can address inequalities and support poverty alleviation.
Countering violent extremism/fundamentalisms in Asia
In south-east Asia, the world’s fastest growing refugee crisis is evident in the massive exodus of Rohingya to neighbouring countries. Much less attention, however, has been given to ongoing conflicts in Kachin and Shan states, which has steadily escalated since 2016.
With interest from China and India, and multiple countries affected in the region, there is potential for this to become a regional security flashpoint.
In the Philippines, militants linked to Islamic State have been fighting security forces in Marawi with the stalled peace process now in disarray. However, the need remains for a negotiated settlement to contain future insurgencies and address long standing grievances as this crisis can become a flashpoint for violent extremism affecting the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia.
This project would support analysis on counter terrorism initiatives across SE Asia and identify potential ways forward.
China’s evolving role in global governance
With the US more oriented on domestic policy and retreating from international institutions, China is increasingly a key player both in international and regional governance; China seeks to influence and impose its will on region through Belt and Road, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership RCEP and foreign direct investment.
However, there are many competing visions of order in the region across security, economics and politics: Indo Pacific, Xi’s CICA, BRI/AIIB and the Asia Africa Growth Corridor, the Beijing Consensus, EAS, the Diamond/Quad etc.
Offsetting, and at times undermining, these initiatives is the tendency of some states to abandon order enhancing roles into a narrow nationalism and overtly transactional approach to international relations.
This project focuses on China’s role in shaping international and regional financial institutions; China’s role in ensuring peace and stability internationally and regionally, e.g. UNSC, peacekeeping and/or China’s role in developing international law and the response of other Asia powers to these developments.
Research topics with the International Security Department
New technologies and their impact on international security, with a focus on artificial intelligence (AI) or on space
The International Security Department is seeking fellows to conduct research on the impact of new technologies on international security. Proposals on any aspect of this topic are encouraged the programme is particularly interested in the potential implications, both positive and negative, of Artificial Intelligence on security, and of the space sector on security.
This may include research that considers future applications of AI, the vulnerabilities of space assets to attacks, or the weaponization of new technologies. Innovative approaches to understanding these challenges are welcomed.
Research topics with the Centre on Global Health Security
Global health and the Belt and Road Initiative
From infectious disease outbreaks and food insecurity to chronic disease and health inequalities, the growing health concerns of the 21st century require countries to make a concerted effort to tackle them together.
Though its primary aim is related to trade, China’s Belt and Road Initiative will have an impact on global health. The Initiative - with its focus on connectivity and cooperation between Eurasian countries, primarily the People's Republic of China, the land-based Silk Road Economic Belt and the ongoing Maritime Silk Road - provides a distinct opportunity for increased collaboration across regions and across sectors.
The project will analyse and evaluate China’s role in shaping global health priorities in the regions affected by the Belt and Road Initiative, and the opportunities for the Global North to connect with the Global South on tackling the world’s health problems.
The rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Asia
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.
Countries in Asia are acutely affected by NCDs, 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 Asia.
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. The programme 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, applicants interested in looking at Universal Health Coverage in conflict-affected settings are welcomed.
Research topics with Global Economy and Finance
Trade agreements as a tool of international relations
With the stalling of the Doha Round, the global system of international trade has been in a state of transition over the last several years.
Although global tariffs remain hear historic lows, new non-tariff barriers such as product standards, licensing requirements, and data standards have propagated, and require countries to harmonize with their trading partners to realize the gains from trade. This has led to a series of major bilateral and multilateral trade and investment initiatives, which have proven politically controversial.
Proposals in this area will examine the future of trade agreements, how emerging markets approach the negotiation process both politically and economically, and how effective they will be in developing a system of global trade that is both politically and economically sustainable and beneficial worldwide.
Research topics with the Hoffmann Centre for Sustainable Resource Economy
Policy lessons and levers that drive behavioural shift towards more sustainable consumption – whether at individual or corporate level
Government interventions are often key to bridging ‘value-action’ gaps and supporting a shift to sustainable consumption behaviours. These interventions could take many forms, from direct regulation to ‘nudges’ and information sharing campaigns.
Behaviour change is an inexact science and the challenge for policymakers is deciding which approach would be most appropriate for the consumption behaviour they’re targeting.
This research project will explore previous interventions that have targeted consumption behaviours to develop broad lessons - for example around the conditions for success and barriers and risks.
These broad lessons would be used to inform interventions that could change entrenched behaviours or shape emerging ones in regions/countries with a large population or a growing middle class.
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