The “Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers” National Research University (TIIAME-NRU) and Justus Liebig University, Giessen, have established a graduate research fellowship in SDG research as a part of the SDG^nexus Network II Project. The fellowship is tenable at the “Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers” National Research University, Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

The position is supported by the SDG^nexus Network II, led by the Department of Ecology and Water Resources Management at TIIAME-NRU, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, and by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) with funding from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany (BMZ).

Duration: 1 July 2025 – 31 December 2028

Deadline: 15 July 2025

Summary of the Fellowship

The SDG^nexus Network, consisting of partners from Colombia, Ecuador, Germany, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, provides a common research framework related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN) and aims to analyze synergies and trade-offs among individual SDGs (SDG nexus analysis).

Fields of Research

Fellow will be advised by a faculty member whose principal appointment is in water-related SDGs, agriculture and sustainable food systems, environment engineering/management, and economics.

We are particularly keen fellows whose research interests are in one of the following topics:

·       water resources management;

·       land use;

·       irrigated agriculture,

·       climate change & biodiversity,

·       governance & gender,

·       spatial interaction and potential synergies and trade-offs among agriculture and water-related SDGs.

A fellow is required to be admitted to the PhD program in water resources engineering and management, environmental engineering, agriculture, or economics. To be eligible for the fellowship, you must first apply and be accepted as a graduate student.  

Profile

• You are highly motivated to start a research career.
• You have been awarded a Master’s degree or equivalent in relevant sciences with strong study results.
• Proof of successful contribution to a peer-reviewed publication is an asset.
• You work meticulously, have good organizational and analytical skills, you are quality-driven, creative, a team-player, open-minded, willing to learn, and capable of critical thinking/analysis.

Languages

Fluency in oral and written English. Competency in Russian is an advantage, as is knowledge of Uzbek.

How to Apply

Send a covering letter, an up-to-date CV that includes the names and contact information of two referees, and a personal statement of your interest in applying for the fellowship.  Applicants from Uzbekistan are encouraged to apply. Please send the documents to sdgnexus@tiiame.uz by July 15, 2025. Please send your applications with the following subject header of the email: “SDG Nexus PhD student fellowship”.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited for interviews with representatives of the SDG Nexus Network consortium.

  The “Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers”  National Research University (TIIAME-NRU) is a first-class regionally recognized academic and research university known for its top programs in engineering (irrigation, water resources, environment, electrification and automation, agricultural mechanization), land management and agricultural economics/management & marketing with an almost 100-year tradition. TIIAME-NRU’s mission is to develop the potential of agriculture and water management, strengthening the image of Central Asian science and education in the global market of educational services, research, and innovation.

For more information about the “Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers” National Research University, visit: https://tiiame.uz