Fully-funded PhD: Migrants’ heritage and its management in local cultural institutions (deadline 18 March 2016)

Fully-funded PhD: Migrants’ heritage and its management in local cultural institutions (deadline 18 March 2016)
https://www.findaphd.com/search/ProjectDetails.aspx?PJID=72964&LID=2712

This interdisciplinary project will explore how local cultural institutions (museums, libraries, and archives) can better prepare themselves to embed and manage migrants’ cultural heritage in the digital age.
Migrating heritage is a feature of our globalised world, characterized by emerging challenges of social inclusion and new roles for cultural institutions (Innocenti, 2015). Communication and information technologies are changing the dynamics and scope of memory construction, display and understanding in a networked society (Castells, 2010). In this context a number of issues associated with cultural heritage information systems and services are yet to be adequately addressed, for example in relation to content organization and access, users outreach and sustainability (Ruthven and Chowdhury 2015). This opens the possibility for local cultural institutions to gain a greater understanding of migrants’ individual and community needs in relation to their services, address shortfalls in collections, and contribute to cultural citizenship (Delanty 2007).

Project objectives includes:
* Exploring novel methods and tools to embed, manage, access and re‐use migrant’s tangible and intangible heritage in local cultural institutions collections and services;
* Investigating information seeking behaviours, perceptions and attitudes of migrants and minority groups in relation to local cultural institutions;
* Enhancing current social inclusion practices in local cultural institutions.

The PGR student will work with local institutions so that impact measures can be developed.

The PGR student will join the vibrant research environment of the iSchool at University of Northumbria, Department of Mathematics and Information Sciences, (https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/academic-departments/mathematics-and-information-sciences/ ), part of the iSchools organization worldwide (http://ischools.org/) dedicated to advancing the information field. Northumbria iSchool explores innovative ways and contexts in which digital information is used, created, managed, preserved. The PGR student will also have access to the new cutting-edge iLab for Web and mobile usability studies, data analytics, and internet of things.

Funding Notes
The studentship includes a full stipend, paid for three years at RCUK rates (in 2016/17 this is £14,296 pa) and fees (Home/EU £4,350 / International £13,000).

Eligibility and How to Apply
Please note eligibility requirement:
• academic excellence i.e. 2:1 (or equivalent GPA from non-UK universities [preference for 1st class honours]); or a Masters with distinction.
• Appropriate IELTS score, if required.

For further details of how to apply, entry requirements and the application form, see https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/research/postgraduate-research-degrees/how-to-apply/.

Please ensure you quote the advert reference RDF16/MIS/INNOCENTI on your application form.

For a full text of some of the references listed in this advert: https://univerityofnorthumbria.academia.edu/PerlaInnocenti