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PhD position in Agricultural Economics – Agricultural intensification in Ethiopia

  • //applyindex.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/belgium.png Belgium
  • University/Institute Name KU Leuven
  • Attendance Type On Campus (Full Time)
  • Position Funding Type Research Assistantship (RA)
  • Application deadlineSeptember 9, 2025
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Position Details (PhD Research Project)

The Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, within the Science and Technology Group at KU Leuven, is a department with 38 full-time professors, about 240 researchers and 24 full-time administrative and technical staff.
The main mission of the Department is to conduct high quality scientific research on the functioning of geo- and ecosystems at different temporal and spatial scales, including human-environment interactions and the sustainable management of natural resources.
The members of the Department provide high quality education in the fields of bioengineering, geography, geology and tourism. The Department aims to play a major role in societal issues such as environmental pollution, food production, climate change, forest, green and nature management, soil and water management, subsoil exploitation, urban and rural issues, development cooperation and tourism.
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Project

Are you finishing or have you completed a Master’s in Bioscience Engineering or in Agricultural, Development, Natural Resources or another applied field of Economics? Are you excited about scientific research – or even just curious? Are you interested in the development of agricultural systems and rural areas in the Global South? Has doing a PhD ever crossed your mind? 

If so, consider our offer for a vacant PhD position in the project ‘Social-ecological consequences of agricultural intensification of smallholder farming in Ethiopia’, financed by the KU Leuven special research fund. 
The project explores the effects of agricultural intensification on a range of social-ecological outcomes in Ethiopia. In specific, the project will assess to what extent agricultural intensification of smallholder farming can contribute to maintaining tree cover and preventing forest degradation. The project seeks to gain insights in what specific types of agricultural intensification interventions can contribute to maintaining tree cover and preventing forest degradation, with specific attention to the role of factor use intensity and factor productivity. The project will focus on a broad set of socio-ecological outcomes, such as yields, income, food security, and access to ecosystem services, to identify sustainability trade-offs. The project intends to use a combination of secondary and primary data sources, including but not limited to farm survey and interview data, remote sensing and GIS data, forest inventory and field survey data, and conduct quantitative analyses at different spatial and temporal scales. 
In the framework of this project, we seek to recruit two full-time doctoral researchers. For one of these two positions we seek to hire someone with a backgrond in Bioscience Engineering (with specialization in Economics), Agricultural Economics, Development Economics, Natural Resources Economics or Environmental Economics. In this position, you are expected to contribute to compiling and managing secondary databases, designing and implementing surveys in cooperation with other doctoral researchers in the project and with project partners in Ethiopia. You will exploit these databases in quantitative and econometric analyses at different spatial scales to investigate agricultural intensification pathways and their effect on various socio-ecological outcomes. You will interpret and discuss your research findings with the project team, and will engage in multidisciplinary research to integrate and synthesize findings on different sustainability trade-offs of agricultural intensification in smallholder farming. You will edit research articles and present your research at national and international conferences. The position requires interdisciplinary teamwork with other doctoral researchers and project partners as well as independent and creative thinking that contributes to the advancement of the project and the research field. 
You will work in the Agricultural and Rural Development Economics Research Group at the Division of Bio-economics, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Bio-science Engineering, KU Leuven under the supervision of Prof. dr. Ir. Miet Maertens, and in close collaboration with the Agronomic and Conservation Research Group and under the co-supervision of Prof. dr. Ir. Olivier Honnay. You will conduct a PhD at the Arenberg Doctoral School (ADS). You can find more information on these research units and the ADS PhD program on the below-mentioned websites.

Profile

  • You hold an EU Master’s degree in Bioscience Engineering, Agricultural Economics, Development Economics, Environmental Economics, Natural Resources Economics or another relevant field of Applied Economics or Bioscience Engineering with excellent study results (you have obtained at least a distinction or graduated cum laude) – or an equivalent degree of higher education.
  • You have a keen interest in scientific research on agricultural intensification, economic development, and environmental sustainability – and more generally in the research topics of the Agricultural and Rural Development Research Group and the Division of Bio-economics
  • You have experience with or are eager to do field research in a low-income country, and conducting socio-economic surveys and semi-structured interviews. 
  • You have experience with or are eager to work with large databases and database management software. 
  • You have starter skills in statistical, econometric, or other quantitative data analysis, and some experience with statistical software packages; you are keen to develop these skills further. Having basic GIS skills is an asset.  
  • You possess strong and documented scientific writing skills. 
  • You have excellent communication skills and know how to use them effectively to move forward.   
  • You are proficient in English; knowledge of Dutch is a plus.  
  • You are willing and able to travel to Ethiopia for a longer period for field research, survey and other data collection.  
  • You are flexible, dynamic, and sociable. You show persistence, are solution-oriented, and can work both independently and collaboratively.   
  • You are enthusiastic about working in a multicultural and interdisciplinary environment. 

Offer

  • We offer a competitive full-time PhD scholarship for 1 year (renewable for another 3 years) in accordance with KU Leuven’s doctoral salary scale.
  • KU Leuven offers additional benefits in terms of health insurance, public transport at reduced rates, free bicycle use, access to university sports facilities, childcare opportunities – among others. You can find more information on working conditions at KU Leuven on the below-mentioned website. 
  • KU Leuven offers opportunities to follow academic, skills and career training courses.  
  • We offer a dynamic and multicultural work environment.
  • The PhD position offers the opportunity to participate in a collaborative research project with KU Leuven and Jimma University.     

Agricultural and Rural Development Economics Research Group
Honnay Lab
Division of Bio-economics
Working conditions at KU Leuven
Arenberg Doctoral School

Interested?

For more information please contact Prof. dr. ir. Miet Maertens, tel.: +32 16 32 65 36, mail: [email protected] or Prof. dr. ir. Olivier Honnay, tel.: +32 16 32 15 32, mail: [email protected].

KU Leuven strives for an inclusive, respectful and socially safe environment. We embrace diversity among individuals and groups as an asset. Open dialogue and differences in perspective are essential for an ambitious research and educational environment. In our commitment to equal opportunity, we recognize the consequences of historical inequalities. We do not accept any form of discrimination based on, but not limited to, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, ethnic or national background, skin colour, religious and philosophical diversity, neurodivergence, employment disability, health, or socioeconomic status. For questions about accessibility or support offered, we are happy to assist you at this email address.

Research Areas & Fields of Study involved in the position

Agricultural Economics Development Economics Environmental Economics Food economics Resource Economics

Position Start Date

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