University of British Columbia, Canada

Job Summary

The Vibrant Forest Landscapes Lab at the University of British Columbia and Emily Carr University of Art + Design seeking an outstanding graduate student to start a two year MSc position in September 2021. The research will be pursued under the guidance of Associate Prof. Agni Klintuni Boedhihartono and Associate Prof. Chris Gaston at UBC, and with co-supervision by Prof Brenda Crabtree at ECUAD, and support from the Tri-Council New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF).

The key motivation for this position is to work with communities in British Columbia and in Indonesia and international colleagues to engage in research on the use of art as a boundary tool in connecting environmental and natural resources management communities, and to provide recommendations for their future management. The immediate focus will be on the use of arts in communities’ improvement of livelihoods (socio-cultural and economic growth). The research will also focus on the value of arts in natural resource management. The successful applicant will help design, implement, and analyze data from surveys and discussions on the value of art as boundary tool and participatory method in landscape management.

The position will be shared between the Vibrant Forest Landscape LabFaculty of Forestry at UBC’s Vancouver campus and several trips to various field sites in the Northern British Columbia and Indonesia. A Graduate Research Assistant stipend of $36,400 is available to support this position, for enrolment in a 2 year MSc program. Candidates may be eligible for graduate award opportunities: https://forestry.ubc.ca/students/future-graduate-students/financial-support/

Qualifications

We will consider applicants for this position at the MSc level. All applicants should have a BSc in ecology (or related field) and/or BA in arts, experience and interest in conservation science, natural resources management, arts, fine arts, Indigenous knowledge, governance, and a desire to conduct research to inform practical works and being passionate on the use of various art ways in communicating science and culture. We particularly seek candidates with the following experience and skills: willingness to conduct fieldwork in remote environments, collaboration with Indigenous communities, travel flexibility, familiarity with visual and creative methods (such as using drawings, photography and video making) and statistical analysis.

In addition to the skills outlined above, we strongly encourage applicants who identify as Indigenous, First Nations, Metis and Inuit to apply. Applicants must be comfortable working in an interdisciplinary and multicultural team and be highly self-motivated.

How to Apply for this Graduate Student Position in Arts as a Boundary Tool in Sustainable Landscapes

Interested applicants should apply to the MSc in Forestry degree program at UBC by following the process on this page . Please be sure to indicate in your application materials that you are applying for the “Arts as Boundary Tool” research project under the supervision of Dr Agni Klintuni Boedhihartono. For more information on the research project contact Dr Boedhihartono: agni.boedhihartono@ubc.ca . Questions about the application for the enrolment procedure should be directed to Forestry Grad Admissions forestry.grad@ubc.ca . Note that the regular application deadline is March 15, 2021 but students interested in this specific research opportunity must have their complete application submitted earlier, by February 15th .https://forestry.ubc.ca/career-opportunities/graduate-student-position-msc-in-arts-and-environment/