Three funded opportunities under Sydney-Glasgow Joint PhD program

The University of Sydney’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and the University of Glasgow’s College of Social Sciences have unveiled three new joint PhD projects to commence in October 2025. The projects will provide opportunities for aspiring PhD candidates from across the world to work alongside leading research supervisors. The successful candidates will be jointly enrolled at both institutions, spend time at each campus, and receive a joint degree.

This project explores the role of independent anti-corruption agencies in democracies, particularly their aim to prevent corruption and promote governmental integrity. While such agencies hold significant power, they often lack direct public accountability. Common in developing countries, they are rare in mature democracies, with Australia as an exception. The United Kingdom by contrast is typical, with no such agency.

Existing research is lacking in two key areas: (a) the theoretical definition of "integrity" within democratic institutions, and (b) the empirical evaluation of these agencies' effectiveness in mature democracies. The project aims to address these gaps by assessing Australia’s agencies. In doing so, it aims to inform UK policy debate on establishing a similar agency, as well as wider debates on the value of these agencies as a democratic innovation.

Project will be co-hosted by:

• Professor Rodney Smith, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Sydney
• Dr Nicholas Kirby, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Glasgow

For more information, please visit the University of Glasgow Student Funding Opportunities page.

This project addresses the challenges teachers in many parts of the majority world today (primarily in the Global South) face in preparing students for a rapidly changing world, balancing colonial legacies with new global and curricular demands. Focusing on Ghana, it examines how teachers navigate these tensions under a new curriculum and mandated Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). Ghana’s education system, shaped by its colonial past, continues to emphasize English mastery, though the current curriculum advocates a broader literacy approach often hindered by rote practices.

Using a multi-site case study in two Ghanaian primary schools, the research employs a new materialist ethnographic approach to explore literacy teaching and learning for sustainable and equitable futures. It responds to calls for critical, multicultural, and multilingual education research, leveraging PLCs to align literacy practices with policy and learner needs. This work aims to enhance teacher professional learning in Ghana and similar contexts and will advance the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education for all (SDG 4).

Project will be co-hosted by:

• Associate Professor Jen Scott Curwood, Sydney School of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney
• Professor Mia Perry, School of Education, University of Glasgow

This project focuses on analysing housing market price dynamics and investigating the influence of large-scale intermediary estate agencies on episodes of rapid price increases, potentially resembling price bubbles. While the importance of real estate markets is well established, the impact of dominant intermediaries on price trends and monetary policy shifts remains underexplored.

Using rich datasets from England, Wales and Australia, along with detailed property attributes from estate platforms, the research aims to illuminate how these agencies' micro-level behaviours and strategies can shape macro-level price dynamics. Findings will be relevant to institutions like the Bank of England and the Reserve Bank of Australia, informing monetary policy decisions and regulatory measures aimed at mitigating excessive price growth and improving housing affordability.

Project will be co-hosted by:

• Professor Andrew Wait, School of Economics, University of Sydney
• Associate Professor Vladimir Smirnov, School of Economics, University of Sydney
• Professor Tatiana Kirsanova, Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow
• Dr Hisayuki Yoshimoto, Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow

Candidates with the relevant research interests from across the world are encouraged to apply. Applications close on 31 March 2025.