Funded PhD scholarships - Deadline extended

Mon Mar 15 22:48:58 UTC 2010

University of Cambridge, Faculty of Modern and 
Medieval Languages.

TWO PhD STUDENTSHIPS 2010-2013 IN SLAVONIC STUDIES

Applications are invited for two fully-funded PhD 
studentships (EU/UK rate**) covering the period 1 
October 2010 to 31 September 2013, working under 
the supervision of Dr. Alexander Etkind in the 
Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages.  These 
awards have become available as a result of the 
award of a 2009 HERA JRP grant (Humanities in the 
European Research Area, Joint Research Program) in 
the category "Cultural Dynamics: Inheritance and 
Identity" for the collaborative research project 
“Memory at War: Cultural Dynamics in Poland, 
Russia, and Ukraine”. The University of Cambridge 
is leading this project, which will be 
accomplished in association with the Universities 
of Bergen, Helsinki, Tartu, and Groningen. The 
project will involve multiple conferences, field 
trips, and publications in which the prospective 
PhD students will participate. Successful 
applicants for these awards are expected to begin 
PhD study on 1 October 2010.

Qualification requirements
Candidates should hold a Master's degree (or 
equivalent) in a relevant field, such as Slavonic 
Studies, Political Science, History, etc., and 
demonstrate a good command of one of three 
Slavonic languages (Polish, Russian, or 
Ukrainian), a reading knowledge of another of 
these languages (or eagerness to acquire this 
knowledge at Cambridge), and excellent writing 
skills in English. Experience in journalism or 
information technologies is a bonus.

Closing date
29th March 2010.

New Admission Applicants
Applications should be made on paper to the Board 
of Graduate Studies and the Faculty of Modern and 
Medieval Languages simultaneously in the normal 
way by the CLOSING DATE FOR THESE 
APPLICATIONS/AWARDS which is 15 March 2010. See 
http://www.mml.cam.ac.uk/gradstudies/applying/phd.html 
for details of how to apply and which documents to 
submit.

When sending the application to the Faculty and to 
the Board of Graduate Studies, it is important 
that applicants mark the envelope and top right 
corner of the application form “HERA” and indicate 
that the start date is 1 October 2010 on the 
application form. In the Research Statement, 
candidates are required to outline their original 
research project and explain how it will fit the 
Joint Research Program, “Memory at War: Cultural 
Dynamics in Poland, Russia, and Ukraine.” 
Applicants should specify Dr. Alexander Etkind as 
supervisor on their application forms and are 
encouraged to contact Dr. Etkind (ae264 at cam.ac.uk) 
to discuss the HERA project, Cambridge College 
selection, and their applications.  Applicants 
should also email the MML Graduate Office 
(mml-graduate-studies at lists.cam.ac.uk) indicating 
that they have sent an application to the Faculty 
to be considered for these awards.

Applicants who have already applied for graduate 
PhD places at Cambridge
Applicants for this funding who have already 
applied for graduate PhD places at Cambridge via 
the admissions/leave to continue route should 
notify the MML Graduate Office 
(mml-graduate-studies at lists.cam.ac.uk) indicating 
by 26 February 2010 to indicate that they wish to 
be considered for these studentships and are 
willing to adjust their PhD proposals in relation 
to the HERA Joint Research Program outlined below. 
  Such applicants are encouraged to contact Dr. 
Etkind (ae264 at cam.ac.uk) to discuss the HERA 
project and Cambridge College selection.

The HERA project
The Joint Research Program, “Memory at War: 
Cultural Dynamics in Poland, Russia, and Ukraine,” 
will explore the on-going dynamics of cultural 
forms of memory and the interactions of these 
forms inside and across Poland, Ukraine, and 
Russia. Inheriting tortured memories of World War 
II and Soviet socialism, Poland, Russia, and 
Ukraine are actualizing their post-traumatic 
energies in remarkably different and increasingly 
antagonistic ways. We are planning to create a 
corpus of what we call ‘thick databases’ of memory 
events, and a series of interpretations of their 
effects in different realms of culture and society 
in Eastern Europe. The project offers a new metric 
for measuring the profound changes that these 
countries have undergone since the collapse of the 
Soviet bloc.  Moreover, the project will bring 
greater understanding of the hidden obstacles 
populating the cultural field – obstacles that 
have the potential to obstruct further and deeper 
changes. Introducing the concept of the memory 
event (a re-discovery of the past that creates a 
rupture with its accepted representation), the 
project examines (i) how myriad texts and 
artifacts of various cultural genres – novels, 
films, history textbooks, government decrees, 
monuments, and blog posts – perform memories of 
the traumas of the twentieth century; (ii) how 
artists, critics, bloggers, or historians in one 
country challenge, provoke, or imitate their 
counterparts in another country by virtue of this 
performance; (iii) how the nation-state 
participates in the public sphere by promoting, 
revising, or censoring these memories; and (iv) 
how the transnational dynamics of culture – 
particularly the prospect of a united and uniting 
Europe – affect the prospects of peace for the 
participants in the Memory War.

**
       Overseas applicants can apply but should 
note that the funding is at the Home/EU rate, 
therefore they will have to secure additional 
funding in order to accept the studentship.

Dual nationalities   Applicants with dual 
nationality should consult the Board of Graduate 
Studies website for eligibility criteria: 
http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/funding/costs/status.html. 
  The website provides criteria for classification 
as a Home or EU/Exchange student: There are a 
number of requirements that must be met in order 
to be eligible for Home or EU fees. Students must 
meet the requirements of both 'settled status' and 
'ordinary residence': * Settled status/nationality 
means that students must be nationals of the UK or 
another EU country, or have the right of permanent 
residence or indefinite leave to remain in the UK 
ie they must not be subject under immigration laws 
to any restriction on the period for which they 
may stay in the UK. Students may also be the 
'relevant family member' of an EU national (a 
relevant family member is generally a spouse or 
civil partner, a direct descendant, or a 
dependant). *  Ordinary residence' means that in 
addition, students must also have been ordinarily 
resident in the UK, the EEA (defined as the EU 
together with Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway), 
Switzerland or the Overseas Territories for the 
three years prior to the start date of the course 
for which they are applying, and that residence 
should not have been wholly or mainly for the 
purposes of receiving education.  If an applicant 
has both EU nationality and overseas nationality, 
the applicant must still meet the criteria for 
ordinary residence in order to be classified as a 
home student.

Visa applications  Those students who require 
visas, in order to study at Cambridge should note 
that the Faculty of History cannot assist in any 
part of the process.  Instead, the first point of 
contact must be the visa section of the Board of 
Graduate Studies website: 
http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/current/visas.html 
   It should be noted that the visa application 
process is a necessarily long process and 
applicants for these awards are expected to begin 
PhD study on 1 October 2010.  The University of 
Cambridge Points Based Immigration Office contacts 
are as follows:

Mrs Catherine Fage, PBI Officer (email 
caf28 at admin.cam.ac.uk, tel 01223 765114)
Ms Samantha Coulson, PBI Assistant  (email 
slc74 at admin.cam.ac.uk, tel 01223 337984)
Mr Matthew Wright, PBI Assistant (email 
mw470 at admin.cam.ac.uk, tel 01223 764082)
Students should only contact the PBI office if 
their questions and queries are not adequately 
answered by the Board of Graduate Studies web 
section above.

Alexander Etkind

Reader in Russian Literature and Cultural History

Fellow of King's College

Cambridge University

CB2 1ST

Cambridge UK

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