‘Chinese Multilateralism and its Impact on Environmental and Democratic Governance in Africa and Latin America’

A Doctoral Research Fellowship (SKO 1017) is available at The Centre for Development and the Environment, University of Oslo.

In this call, we invite innovative proposals that correspond closely with the research project “Chinese Multilateralism and its Impact on Environmental and Democratic Governance in Africa and Latin America”:

The scaling up of investments under its flagship Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is making China a more active collaborator on the world stage, including in countries where democracy and natural resource governance are weak. While refusing to impose normative conditions on bilateral collaboration, China is increasing its efforts to influence the norms and rules of multilateral cooperation. The combined effect of these changes may challenge the pursuit of core values in Norwegian foreign policy, without reciprocal understanding between Norway and China on motivation, architecture, procedure and plans.

The research project focuses on the scaling up of Chinese economic engagement on democratic and natural resources governance in Africa and Latin America. It applies an interactive methodology that includes permanent dialogue with user groups to compare Chinese influence in four multilateral organizations (FOCAC, UNDESA, CCF and IDB) and four country cases (Chile, Venezuela, Kenya and Zimbabwe). It will investigate how actions by different Chinese actors (governmental and business), and through bilateral as well as multilateral channels, are coordinated and influence norms and rules of conduct on democratic and natural resource governance. This will be studied this through the impact on multilateral institutions and domestic elites. The goal is to explain the combined effects of bi-and multilateral engagement, and develop a nuanced understanding of the resulting multilateralism. 

For this research fellowship we invite proposals that focus particularly on the role of Chinese business engagement in Africa and Latin America. The candidate decides whether to include both regions or only one in the PhD project, based on its overall design.

Applicants should enclose a project description (max. 5 pages) which shows clearly how the dissertation will contribute to achieving the overall goals of the project. The project description should also include a budget and progress plan.