Project Internship: Political Change and Local Governance in Emerging Cities

About the Emerging Cities Project 

By 2050, more than two-thirds of the world's population will be living in cities, and the future of 7 billion people will depend on urban governance and development. Most of our knowledge about how cities work comes from the world's largest and most established cities. Yet most people live in emerging cities: urban areas of less than one million people that are rapidly adding population, re-defining territorial boundaries, and shifting away from an agricultural economy. They are critical spaces to reduce poverty, as well as leverage public resources to support equitable growth and development at the local level. Within these cities, there are sites of intense conflict, but also examples of successful governance and equitable development. What explains these differences?  

Emerging Cities develops a new and collaborative research environment to explain four outcomes: 

  • Inclusive decision-making 
  • Avenues of urban claim-making 
  • Peaceful co-existence between host populations and migrants 
  • Equitable development and service delivery 

 

This project brings together researchers with diverse skillsets based at institutions in three continents to conduct multi-method field research in Brazil, Tunisia, and Ghana. Researchers will coordinate across teams, compare measures, integrate case selection, and synthesize results and publications.  

The project has three specific aims:  

  1. Develop a comparative framework for the study of emerging cities across the world.  
  2. Explain the variation in governance across and within emerging cities. 
  3. Distinguish what is "urban" about emerging cities. 
     

About the Internship 

Having an internship with GLD means you get to be part of a dynamic and international organization. If you are interested in topics such as governance and development, you have come to the right place! In this particular project, you will assist Dr. Erica Ann Metheney and the larger Emerging Cities team. Possible tasks include, but are not limited to: performing literature reviews, writing case specific background reports, finding relevant data sources and creating basic data reports, or assisting with survey development. Note that the specific tasks to be completed will be determined based on the needs of the project and the skills and goals of the chosen applicant. For example, if you have a particular interest in one of the country contexts or outcome areas, your tasks can be tailored to those cases.  

You will also have many chances to expand your professional network through weekly project meetings, GLD team and research meetings, and GLD’s Work-in-Progress seminar series.  

Your Skills

  • Great organizational skills  

  • Good knowledge of English (both written and verbal) 

  • Ability to multitask 

  • Demonstrable interest in one of the four outcome areas listed above 

The following skills, while not mandatory, are beneficial:  

  • Experience with survey development 

  • Language skills in Arabic or Portuguese 

  • Previous experience doing research on Tunisia, Brazil, or Ghana 

  • Previous experience doing research on cities 

 

You Want To  

  • Improve your research skills for future studies and work-life 

  • Get greater insight into international research cooperation   

  • Gain experience working on comparative research projects 

  • Gain hands on experience with the development and implementation of fieldwork, specifically surveys 

 

Eligibility to Apply 

You must be enrolled in a degree program for which you will receive course credit for completing the internship. This means that by completing the internship, you will receive credit hours towards your degree, and the internship will show as course on your transcript. Sometimes this type of course is called an internship course, an independent study, or a consulting course. 

 

Apply here (external link)

Deadline: November 22, 2024.