University of Auckland | PhD Fellowship position in linguistic diversity
We offer two fully funded 3-year PhD positions working with Associate Professor Simon Greenhill and Professor Quentin Atkinson to revolutionize our understanding of human linguistic and cultural diversity.
About
We are a cultural species – no other organism socially transmits such a diverse array of behaviour and knowledge. Worldwide, we speak more than 7000 languages, we construct our social groups and kinship systems differently, we sing, dance, and conduct diverse rituals, and the objects we use in our daily lives are as varied as the activities we undertake in those lives. This cultural information is fundamental to human identity, carries our ancestors’ wisdom, documents our prehistory, and is embedded in our languages, thoughts, and societies. But most of the world’s languages and the cultures they represent are not expected to survive this century. Surprisingly, we know little about how this diversity was generated or its likely future trajectory. This project will use computational models and newly available data to: 1) identify the drivers of cultural and linguistic diversity; and 2) forecast how language loss and climate change will shape the future of Indigenous languages and cultures around the globe. Our findings will inform current understanding of human diversity and make inroads to protect this precious intangible heritage before it is too late.
Potential Applicants
Your job will be to quantify linguistic and cultural diversity around the globe, identify and test what drives this diversity, and forecast future diversity.
We expect from you
- Excellent Master’s degree in historical/typological/computational linguistics, evolutionary biology/ecology, or evolutionary/cross-cultural anthropology.
- Experience with programming languages (e.g., R, Python) and computational models (Bayesian phylogenetic methods or spatial modelling).
- Excellent analytical skills and attention to detail.
- Effective communication and teamwork abilities.
How to apply
To apply, please send a cover letter explaining your motivation and relevant experience, a CV/academic transcript, and contact details for two referees to simon.greenhill@auckland.ac.nz
Note: This position is fully funded thanks to the Royal Society of New Zealand Marsden Fund.
Source and application form: https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/understanding-the-past-and-future-of-global-cultural-and-linguistic-diversity/?p183755
