Applications are invited for a full-time scholarship available in the School of Sport, Tourism & The Outdoors. The scholarship is tenable for up to 3 years for a PhD (via MPhil route) [subject to satisfactory progress] and is open to international applicants only. UK/EU applicants are not eligible to apply. The scholarship will cover the cost of tuition fees for an International resident for 3 years.
The project will involve a case-study of two emerging sports in Serbia, rugby league and cricket. A particular aim of the study is to examine how these sports engage with and foster key dimensions of contemporary policy agendas, including social cohesion, integration and reconciliation. The study will involve a detailed examination of the organisational working of these sports, their histories in Serbia, their local demographics and their relationship with the international HQ organisations.
Sport is seen within Serbia as an important aspect of that country’s preparation for acceptance into the European Union. Accordingly, the study will look at how these sports are playing their small part in this process, especially in terms of explicit compliance with the EU agenda on sport. The working relationship with the Serbian Ministry of Sport and Youth will also be studied. In disciplinary terms the project will operate at the intersection of the sociology of sport, organisations, and community. The methodology is intended to be qualitative, relying on fieldwork interviewing and document analysis. Access to both the Serbian Rugby League Federation and the Serbian Cricket Federation has been established by the project supervisor. Field-work for the project will be centred in Belgrade. The successful student will need to be fluent (spoken and written) in both Serbian and English languages.

Scholarship Application Deadline: 13 May 2011

Further Scholarship Information and Application