Profiles of our dual career PhD fellows

We welcome researchers with a master’s degree who have strong academic records, professional and/or volunteer experience, affiliation with academic research and a special interest in the core disciplines of UNU-MERIT.

Participants in the dual career PhD programme have external work responsibilities, leaving them with less time for PhD research. Our participants – who may be policy analysts, researchers and academic consultants from the public and private sectors, international organisations and research institutes – have jobs that allow them to spend a minimum amount of time on research activities that eventually lead to a PhD degree. Ideally, the employer of the participant supports the researcher actively by allocating time and facilitating research work (e.g. by providing data, support, related assignments, etc).

Since the application requirements not only include educational degrees but also relevant work experience and endorsement of the employer, the average profile of a dual career PhD fellow is rather different from the average profile of a full-time PhD fellow – they are typically early to mid-career professionals.

Learn more about some of our current dual career PhD fellows:

Graduates

Emanuela Sirtori (2022) “LED there be light: The evolution in LED technology and dynamics of entry into the LED lighting market”

Erich de la Fuente (2022) “Limiting Media Freedom in Democratic States: How Governments Use Instruments to Curtail News Media Freedom”
Promotors: Michael Cichon, Mindel van de Laar and Eduardo Gamarra

Maria Espinosa Romero (2021) “The Shadow of State Hierarchy”
Promotors: Juan Calors Seijo, Julieta Marotta and Michal Natorski

Eliana Rubiano (2021) “Essays on Conflict-Induced Displacement and Gender in Colombia”
Promotors: Melissa Siegel, Ortrun Merkle and Lisa Andersson

Purity Njagi (2021) “Financial risk, vulnerability and equity of access to health care services in Kenya”
Promotors: Wim Groot and Jelena Arseneijvic

Rafael Lemaitre Carabias (2021) “Public Sector Innovation in the United Arab Emirates – How innovation occurs and what outcomes it delivers”
Promotors: Jo Ritzen and Anthony Arundel

Gloria Lucia Bernal Nisperuza (2021) “Preferences and Performance of High School Students in Response to Scholarships, Information, and Co-education”
Promotors: Kristof de Witte and Mindel van de Laar

Atsuko Okuda (2021) “Towards e-compliance: Exploring the role of compliance and e-governance initiatives in the case of Bhutan”
Promotors: Baharul Islam, Antonio Cordella and Mindel van de Laar

Gillian McFarland (2021) “Doing Policy in Further Education: An exploration of the enactment of the GCSE Resit Policy in Further Education Colleges in England”
Promotors: Louis Volante and Mark Bevir

Ornsaran Pomme Manuamorn (2021) “Governance of International Adaptation Finance for Local Climate Change Adaptation: An Analysis of Adaptation Fund Projects”
Promotor: Shyama Ramani

Fernanda Assuncao Soares (2019) “The Influence of Within School and Across Schools’ Collaborative Practices on Student Learning and Teaching Outcomes in West Africa”
Promotors: Kristoff de Witte and Mindel van de Laar

Camilo Nicaron Carrillo Purin(2019)“Teachers’ in-service training and student achievement: The effect of in-service training of Peruvian teachers on student achievement”
Promotors: Wim Groot and Henriette Maarse van den Brink

Michal Kazimierczak (2019) “Regional Innovation and Entrepreneurship Patents, Trade Marks, Entry and Entrants’ Growth in European Manufacturing Industries”
Promotors: Rene Belderbos and Micheline Goedhuys

Richard De Groot (2019)“Cash Transfers, Child Nutrition and Intra-Household Dynamics: Unpacking the Causal Mechanisms”
Promotors: Franziska Gassmann, Michael Cichon and NyashaTirivayi

Nicolas Echarti (2019) “Employment Effects of Vocational Rehabilitation in Germany, A quantitative analysis”
Promotors: CathalO’donoghue and Esther Schüring

Sheille Solomon (2019) “Neighborhoods Matter: Crime, Collective Efficacy and Foreclosures in Miami”
Promotors: Hans Nelen and Cathal O’Donoghue

Ana Christina Calderon (2019) “Institutional isomorphism and Policy transfer in Public management reforms,Three stories about public procurement agencification in Latin America”
Promotors: Mark Bevir and Gian Luigi Albano

Catie Lott (2019) “Broadening Measures of Women’s Access to Formal Political Decision-Making”
Promotors: Mark Bevir and Petra Meier

Mutinta Nseluke Hambayi (2018) “A Tall Order: Improving Child Linear Growth. Diets, transitions and maternal education”
Promotors: Wim Groot and NyashaTirivayi

Vinci Vincenzo (2018) “The Relevance of Institutions and People’s Preferences for Social Protection”
Promotors: Pierre Mohnen, Franziska Gassmann

Clothilde Mahe (2018) “Essays on Migration and Occupational Choice”
Promotors: WimNaude and Melissa Siegel

Silke Heuser (2018) “The Effectiveness of Environmental Policies on Reducing Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon”
Promotors: CathalO’Donoghue, Jan Börner and Ronald Skeldon

Khaled Rajab (2018) ”Strategic Planning under Fragility The Role of Leadership in the Strategic Planning of Municipalities in Palestine”
Promotors: Eddy Szirmai and Paul Rabe

Tareq Abu-el-Haj (2018) “Food Security Policy Impact Analysis: The Econometrics of Cash and Food Assistance Cost Effectiveness”
Promotors: CathalO’Donoghue and Franziska Gassmann