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MSc thesis+internship opportunity: Political Ecology of Coal in Myanmar
In 2011, Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, began a process of democratic reform following 50-years of military dictatorship. In the coming year its nascent government is expected to formalize its first national energy policy, and the decisions that are being made now will determine the country’s development practices for generations to come. While the country has real potential to pass a sustainable energy policy, powerful foreign governments and investors are beginning to introduce the most unsustainable and damaging methods of development – including mega-dams and coal-fired power plants.
Earth Rights International (ERI, an advocacy NGO based in Thailand) is collecting information on future energy projects based on government insight, information from international partners, and observations from partners on the ground. By facilitating the verification of each of the aforementioned sources of information, ERI seeks to paint a holistic picture on the future landscape of coal projects within the region; and navigate the best ways to change it. ERI will first create a map of local and international initiatives working on the coal campaign in Myanmar, many of which will be linked to current and upcoming plans for coal projects identified during the data collection described above. Upon the collection and verification of data on coal projects within Myanmar, ERI will conduct a political economy and stakeholder analysis to inform campaign and communications strategies. The analysis will be presented to civil society groups that will not only allow them room for commentary, but provide a valuable space for networking among them.
Call for MSc students
This is a call for student to support EarthRights International in this project, in particular to conduct the political economy analysis. Because of the size and complexity of the task, we are looking for an MSc student willing to combine their internship and thesis. The internship would be based at ERI (in Chiang Mai, Thailand) and result in a report that can feed into their advocacy strategy. The thesis component would take a more academic angle, but can focus on the same or a closely related topic.
More information, including the desired qualifications and how to apply, can be found in the call below: