An International research team is looking for a short-term research assistant for a research project about energy and environment in Inner Mongolia. Starting date: as soon as possible.

Short-Term Research Assistant
短期研究助理
September 2010, Inner Mongolia

Requirements:
- From Inner Mongolia and highly interested in energy and climate policy topics
- Native Chinese speaker, excellent written and spoken English
- Bachelor’s or master’s education
- Able to join small research team in Inner Mongolia for three to four weeks of fieldwork in September 2010

Responsibilities:
- Interview note-taking
- Travel arrangements and interview scheduling
- Some interpretation and translation when needed

Wage paid based on education and experience

Research Description:
Mitigating Capacity: Leaders, Coalitions and Climate Change Policy in China and India
The ongoing negotiations about what form of global agreement should follow the Kyoto Protocol have brought increased attention to the rising greenhouse gas emissions of the emerging markets and especially those of China and India. However, by focusing on the obstacles to reaching international agreement, the current debate tends to obscure the question of what forms of state capacity are needed to implement policies designed to slow down the rise in emissions.

This research investigates this question by looking at the politics of how interest groups come together to form formal or informal coalitions that either facilitate or obstruct the formulation and implementation of local government policies designed to slow down the growth of greenhouse gas emissions. The focus of the study is on energy and transport policies in Inner Mongolia and Shanxi province in China and the state of West Bengal in India.

Funded by the Australian Agency for International Development, as part of The Leadership Program: Developmental Leaders, Elites and Coalitions (LPDLEC)
If interested and meet the requirements above, please send a cover letter and resume to Will Hobbs at wilryh (at) gmail.com.