• Course Title : Ph.D. In Human And Natural Resources Studies Center
• Category/Level : Doctrate
• Course Duration (months) : 36 months
• Cost Range (NPR) :
• Affiliated to : Kathmandu University

Course Description:

HNRSC and South Asia Regional Coordination Office of the Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) North-South are jointly implementing collaborative research since October 2006 with special focus on the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) level programme.

Developing and transition countries are affected by a multitude of envi¬ronmental, political, economic, socio-cultural, and technical development problems and disparities. These occur in many different contexts, and their frequency and acuteness have greatly increased in the 20th century. The challenge for research that aims to produce knowledge relevant to prevention and mitigation of such problems and disparities is that these do not occur independently of each other, but are closely interrelated, appearing in clusters. In this programme, such clusters of prob¬lems are referred to as “syndromes of global change.” The mitigation of these syndromes is a global challenge; it is also a precondition for achieving sustainable development. The PhD programme offered by HNRSC, KU addresses this challenge.

The major objective of the programme is to produce qualified researchers and professionals who are able to coordinate, guide, analyze, evaluate, improve and propagate efforts aimed identifying causes and problems regarding issues related to environmental, economic, socio-cultural problems and disparities in transient countries. By doing so the programme aims to produce highly qualified and competent researchers and professionals who can not only proactively and constructively take part in national and international researches and debates in the field, but also can provide effective recommendations based on their studies to the policy making bodies at various levels.


On-going Research Themes
The ongoing research themes of the PhD program are:
1. Social and Territorial Impacts of Armed Conflict-induced Displacement and the Livelihoods of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nepal
The main objective of this PhD research is to analyze the socio-economic situation of the IDPs and examine their interaction patterns, coping strategies, available means of livelihoods, vulnerability and risks in the new urban environment and the existing networks with the home villages. The research aims to analyze the policy response of the state towards IDPs and to examine the process of formation of marginal habitats.

2. Access of Dalits and Socially Excluded People to Land Resource: Livelihood Insecurity and Social Conflict
The main objective of this PhD research is to examine the policies, legislations or regulations and practices related to access of and control over land resources by Dalits and other socially excluded groups as well as to identify the problems and opportunities inherent in the current policy and legislative sphere and to explore the impact of the provisions in these policies and regulations on the livelihoods of socially excluded groups.

3. Tourism, Conflict and Peace in Nepal
The main objective of this PhD research is to assess both the role of tourism in conflict and the impact of conflict on the development of the tourism sector in Nepal. Second, it aims to analyse if and how the tourism industry contributed towards resolving armed conflict and restoring peace in the country as well as to evaluate its potential for sustainable tourism development in the post-conflict period. This PhD program is part of a research module of the NCCR N-S on ‘conflict and economy’ which focuses on conflict analysis, roles, and opportunities for both national and international business and economic actors. It analyses the role of such actors towards reducing the conflict proneness of violent economic and political environments and towards achieving sustainable development.

4. Landscape of Democracy: The Cultural Politics of Governance in Nepal
Contemporary Nepal Provides an ideal setting to study two issues of great significance concerning the formation of democratic polices. They are political transition in post conflict societies, and the constraints of developing democracies imposed by external institutions and ideologies. The PhD research will address these issues at the scale of local communities where democratic politics are built from the ground up, through the everyday practices of ordinary people in civil society. This project is jointly conducted by HNRSC, University of Toronto, University of Edinburg, Forest Action and NCCR North-South.

5. Livelihood Futures in Resource-scarce Areas and the Quest for Inclusion of Marginal Groups
In places where natural resources are scarce, various groups may vie for the control as well as for access to any alternative means of securing a living. Making comparative studies of resource-scarce areas in South Asia and East Africa, this research project seeks to identify new livelihood strategies for groups vulnerable to exclusion, particularly strategies that diminish reliance on natural resources. In Nepal, this research will be conducted in the far western region of Nepal, with food insecurity as its central theme. This is a collaborative research project of HNRSC, University of Zurich and NCCR North-South.

6. Role of Private Sector in Peace Promotion: An Assessment of the Benefits, Limitations, and Determinants of Corporate Engagement in Peace Through comparison of case studies in South Asia, Central America and the Horn of Africa, this project seeks to improve understanding of the advantages, disadvantages and determinants of corporate engagement in peace promotion, and to generate evidence-based recommendations for peace practitioners considering partnerships with the private sector. The overall aim of the research will be to address the challenges of corporate engagement in peace promotion in Nepal. This is a collaborative research project of RCO NCCR North-South, Swiss Peace Foundation, and HNRSC.

7. Contested Development: Though some sections of Nepal's society were able to improve their livelihoods in recent years, contemporary life in rural Nepal is still characterized by the widespread persistence of inequality and poverty. Dissatisfied with the developmental performance of the State, social/political movements started to claim to better represent poor people's aspirations. The PhD research will address this issue by first mapping the existing regional movements, and by then selecting one (or two) such movements for in-depth analysis. This PhD project aims to contribute to the growing and very contested global debate on "social movements" as alternatives to state-led poverty-oriented rural development. This is a collaborative research project of HNRSC, University of Zurich, and NCCR North-South.