Call for Participation
Workshop on Environmentalism in the Arab Region: Concepts and Methods
February 10-14 | Beirut, Lebanon
* Application Deadline: January 1, 2020
The Arab Council for the Social Sciences (ACSS) is pleased to announce a five-day intensive workshop on “Environmentalism in the Arab Region: Concepts and Methods,” co-organized with the Odum Institute, a research institute housed at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill (USA). The workshop will be held on February 10-14, 2020 in Beirut, Lebanon. It seeks to bring together 15 to 20 researchers from the ACSS network who are intrested in the theme of “Environmentalism, Impoverishment and Social Justice Movements: Interdisciplinary Perspectives” research program. We invite participants who are interested in training on mixed research methods and developing their knowledge of state-of-the-art concepts and frameworks in the field of environmentalism.
Workshop Format
The five-day workshop will be held in both Arabic and English and will cover a variety of topics including:
- An overview of the literature on environmentalism in the Arab region
- Theories, concepts and multidisciplinary approaches to the study of the environment.
- Methodological training in the use of mixed methods, including data gathering and data analysis
Participants will arrive in Beirut on February 9 before the start of the workshop. The workshop will take place for five full days from February 10-14, 2020. Participants are expected to attend the five days and fully participate in all sessions. At the end of the workshop, participants will receive an official ACSS-Odum Institute certificate indicating successful completion of the workshop.
Eligibility Guidelines
Nationality and Residence
- Applicants must be citizens of an Arab League member state or nationals of an Arab country (defined as long-term residents, even if they do not hold citizenship as in the case of refugees or stateless residents).
- Applicants must reside in the Arab region. ACSS will not fund participants who study or reside outside the region.
Educational Degree and Language Ability
- Applicants must have a graduate (Masters or PhD) degree in a social science or related field (including environmental studies).
- Applicants should have foundational knowledge of both quantitative and qualitative research methods.
- Applicants must be proficient in both Arabic and English, as the workshop will be conducted in both languages.
Application Process
Applicants are required to complete a profile on the ACSS Applications Platformand submit the following materials (in English) via email to the ACSS Grants and Fellowships Unit on grants@theacss.org:
- Proposal outlining current or proposed project and its relation to the workshop (maximum 5 pages). Proposal must include a section on methodology and research methods.
- Cover letter indicating reason for with to participate in the workshop.
- CV/Resume of applicant
- Copy of valid passport or identification card
Applications must be submitted via email to granst@theacss.orgno later than January 1, 2020 at 5:00 PM (Beirut Time).
Selection Process
The Selection Committee is comprised of ACSS staff members and the workshop trainers who will review applications based on the following criteria:
- Academic qualifications and language proficiency
- Strength of proposal (relevance of training to research goals and project)
- Need for the training. Preference will be given to junior researchers. This also applies to junior members of research teams who had submitted proposals or received research grants from the ACSS in previous cycles of the Environmentalism, Impoverishment and Social Justice Movements: Interdisciplinary Perspectives research program).
By submitting the electronic application, applicants affirm that they agree, without any objections, to the evaluation and selection results as decided and announced by the Selection Committee and the ACSS. All decisions made by the Selection Committee are final.
Accepted Applicants
Accepted participants will be provided round-trip transportation from their home country, accommodation in Beirut from 9 to 15 February (except for residents of Beirut) and a per diem (daily allowance).
Applicants who are accepted are expected to:
- Provide their own laptop
- Provide their own data with which to work during the workshop
- Refine and incorporate new methodological and theoretical approaches into their proposals
- Participate fully and attend all sessions of the workshop and do the readings as instructed by trainers.
Please direct all queries to Farah Al Souri via email at grants@theacss.org
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About the Odum Institute
Founded in 1924, the Howard W. Odum Institute for Research in the Social Sciences supports the social science teaching and research mission at UNC. The Institute provides a range of consulting services on quantitative and qualitative methods, GIS and spatial analysis, survey research, and data management. Odum offers workshops, summer courses, and a graduate certificate program.
About the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
UNC-Chapel Hill, the nation’s first public university founded in 1789, is a global higher education leader known for innovative teaching, research and public service. A member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, the University offers 78 bachelor’s, 112 master’s, 68 doctorate and seven professional degree programs.