PhD studentship in Modern Japanese History
The
Department of History at the University of York is delighted to invite
applications for a three-year PhD studentship to work on the history of
Japan as a major producer of the natural insecticide, pyrethrum. This
studentship forms part of the Wellcome Trust funded project “The
Chemical Empire: A New History of Synthetic Insecticides in Britain and
its Colonies, c 1920-1970”, led by Dr Sabine Clarke in the Department of
History.
The PhD Project:
Pyrethrum
is a naturally occurring insecticide that can be extracted from chrysanthemum
flowers. Japan established a pyrethrum industry at the end of the 19th
century and Japanese scientists were responsible for innovations in insect
control such as mosquito coils. By the start of the Second World War, Japan was
the major supplier of pyrethrum to Britain and the US. This project will
investigate aspects of the rise of the pyrethrum industry in Japan such as its
international significance, and its relationship with the new synthetic insecticides
that emerged after 1940. The project would suit a candidate with an interest in
fields such as the history of science, technology and medicine, environmental
history and/or economic and business history. Candidates will need a good reading
knowledge of Japanese.
Find further details regarding the studentship and the application process can be found here:
The deadline for applications is midnight (BST) on Friday 17 May 2019.