MSc students

The World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) is one of a network of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). As a global leader in agroforestry research and development, ICRAF’s ultimate purpose is to improve human welfare by reducing poverty, increasing cash income, improving food and nutritional security, and increasing environmental resilience through improved agroforestry systems. ICRAF has its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya and works in 21 countries throughout Africa, Asia and Latin America.
In 1993, the World Agroforestry Centre opened a program for Southeast Asia with Bogor, in Indonesia, as its regional headquarters. We currently work in five Southeast Asian countries including Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and China.

Background:
Land ownership in many forest landscapes remains contested between the state and local communities in many developing countries. This demand clarity and procedural justice if the ‘legal basis’ of property rights and governance over forested land and resources is to be resolved. The complexity extends from the relationship between individuals and local communities, between both of these and local governments, between sub-national entities and the state. Adding to the complexity is the differences in interpretation of existing land reforms, shifting power relations and poor articulation of local property rights and the rights of customary people. Often, lack of land tenure and property rights have rendered local people to political abuse and economic subjugation; even with land tenure, local people have not secured their property rights, to fully exploit economic opportunities.
For these reasons, the dynamics of property rights in land use decisions and the relations of different actors in the playing field need to be understood and conflict of understanding, perceptions and actions and reconciled.

The Position
The World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) and the Research Centre for Forest Ecology and Environment (RCFEE) in Vietnam is recruiting a MSc students who will jointly undertake a thesis on land tenure and property rights of local people/ communities in Ca Mau peatland area in southern Vietnam, for a period of six months within school year 2012.

Duties and Responsibilities
1. The successful candidates are expected to develop and implement research proposals on the above topic, and should examine the following:
a. Historical evolution of land tenure and property rights of local communities in the peatland area.
b. Different positions, claims and conflicts regarding resource and rights
c. Relations between property rights, power, and benefit-sharing and how these impacts the poor, women and marginalized groups
d. Existing land reforms and mechanisms that secure land and property rights of vulnerable people.
2. Submit a duly completed copy of his/her thesis to ICRAF and RCFEE
3. Submit a draft journal manuscript of the thesis to ICRAF and RCFEE

Qualifications and Skills Required:
- Vietnamese citizen
- MSc student in any of the following courses :Political Science; Development Management/ Development Economics or Rural Development
- Have good communication and negotiation skills, writing reports and documentation;
- Well organized; able to meet deadline
- Willing to learn new skills/knowledge related to the thesis topic

In addition, the applicant must:
1. Have completed all the required course work;
2. Be willing to undertake fieldwork;
3. Be able to write/translate the Thesis in English
4. Have identified an Academic Supervisor from his/her University

Cost of scholarship:
The selected student will be granted with maximum amount US$3,000 to cover field expenses, including travel, data collection and stipend during this engagement.

Supervision:
The students will be co-supervised by Dr. Delia Catacutan, Social Scientist at ICRAF-Vietnam and Dr. Vu Tan Phuong, Director of RCFEE. Specifically, Dr. Catacutan will guide the students in implementing ‘Rapid Tenure Assessment’, a tool developed by ICRAF-Indonesia.

Reporting:
Following ICRAF rules, the students should submit a workplan to the supervisor and budget and a report on the use of funds to the Finance Officer.
Please submit your application accompanied by a draft proposal, reference and a recent photograph in MS Word or Pdf format (Max. 500 kb), not later than 10 April 2012 to ICRAF Vietnam Office via Email: [email protected]
Only short-listed applicants meeting the requirements stated above will be contacted. Work assignment is expected to start from mid April, 2012
ICRAF believes that staff diversity promotes excellence, and strongly encourages women to apply. They invite you to learn more about ICRAF at our web site: http://www.worldagroforestry.org/sea/vn