Scottish Graduate School of Social Science

Sgoil Cheumnaichean Saidheans Sòisealta na h-Alba
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Scottish Graduate School of Social Science

Sgoil Cheumnaichean Saidheans Sòisealta na h-Alba

SGSSS Academic Placements

University of Glasgow

Placement host: University of Glasgow
Full time/part time: 3 months full-time/6 months part-time
In person/remote/hybrid: Hybrid
Placement reference: C03_5

Project Title

Understanding the socio-economic impacts of port decarbonisation

About the Host

The project is based within an interdisciplinary research environment at the Urban Big Data Centre, University of Glasgow, led by Dr Mingyu Zhu and Prof Qunshan Zhao. The team works at the intersection of urban analytics, data science and AI, digital twins, and sustainable infrastructure.

Research activities focus on developing data-driven approaches to support climate resilience and net-zero transitions in complex urban systems. This includes integrating geospatial analysis, simulation modelling, and stakeholder engagement to inform decision-making in infrastructure planning and governance.

The placement will be embedded within ongoing collaborative work with industry and public sector partners, including Clyde Port and Glasgow City Region. The student will benefit from close interaction with researchers across disciplines and exposure to real-world applications of policy and governance in port-city transitions.

Project Details

Maritime ports are undergoing rapid transitions towards net-zero operations, driven by technological innovation and climate policy. However, emerging evidence suggests that these transitions do not always translate into improved outcomes for nearby communities, particularly in post-industrial regions where deprivation, environmental inequality, and economic restructuring remain significant challenges.

This project focuses on the Glasgow port-city region, with a particular emphasis on Clyde Port and the wider Glasgow City Region. It examines the potential gap between increasingly sustainable port transitions and the persistent socio-economic deprivation experienced by surrounding communities.

The placement will explore how port innovation strategies affect local community welfare and living environments. It will critically analyse how policy and governance frameworks at local, regional, and national levels shape these outcomes.

The student will contribute to developing a policy-oriented understanding of how data-driven tools, including digital twins, can support more inclusive and equitable decision-making. The project aims to generate insights that help align environmental sustainability with social justice and regional development priorities.

Work Plan

The placement will be three months long (or six months part-time equivalent).

Phase 1: Orientation and Scoping (Weeks 1–2)

The student will be introduced to the Glasgow port-city context, including Clyde Port, regional economic structures, and key challenges related to climate transition and inequality. They will review academic and policy literature on just transitions, port decarbonisation, and regional development, with a focus on Scotland and the UK.

Output: scoping review and refined research questions.

Phase 2: Policy and Stakeholder Mapping (Weeks 3–6)

The student will analyse relevant policy frameworks, including Scottish Government net-zero strategies, regional development plans, and governance arrangements shaping port-city transitions. They will map key stakeholders (e.g. Clyde Port, Glasgow City Region, local authorities, industry actors) and examine how responsibilities, incentives, and priorities are distributed.
Where feasible, the student may engage with ongoing stakeholder activities (e.g. workshops or meetings).

Output: policy and governance mapping report.

Phase 3: Integrating Policy and Data-Driven Insights (Weeks 7–10)

The student will explore how port decarbonisation strategies interact with socio-economic outcomes, including employment,

local deprivation, and environmental conditions. They will examine how data-driven insights (e.g., from digital twin modelling outputs) can inform more inclusive decision-making, identifying potential gaps between environmental targets and social outcomes. Please note that the focus will be on interpreting and critically engaging with existing modelling outputs. No advanced technical modelling skills are required.

Output: analytical framework linking decarbonisation, governance, and community impacts.

Phase 4: Synthesis and Outputs (Weeks 11–12)

The student will synthesise findings into outputs tailored to both academic and policy audiences.

Outputs: a policy brief presented for Glasgow City Region and Clyde Port

The project’s intention is not for the student to deliver an exhaustive study across all phases, but rather to support them through a manageable exploratory cycle: from understanding the port-city context and local challenges, through stakeholder and policy analysis, to identifying potential solutions that support more inclusive and equitable transition strategies.

This opportunity offers the following benefits for the student: ​

This placement will provide the student with a unique opportunity to work at the interface of climate policy, infrastructure systems, and social inequality within a real-world port-city context.

They will gain:

  • Experience in policy and governance analysis in the context of net-zero transitions.
  • Exposure to interdisciplinary research combining social science and data-driven approaches.
  • Insight into real-world decision-making processes through engagement with industry and public sector stakeholders.
  • Opportunities to contribute to policy-relevant outputs, including a policy brief and potential academic publications.

Skills Required

Essential
  • Background in human geography, public policy, urban studies, or a related social science discipline
  • Strong interest in climate change, inequality, and regional development
  • Experience in qualitative or mixed-method research (e.g. policy analysis, literature review, stakeholder mapping)
  • Strong written and communication skills
Desirable
  • Experience in infrastructure systems, ports, or industrial transitions
  • Familiarity with data-driven urban analytics
  • Experience working in interdisciplinary research environments

Eligibility

Academic placements are open to SGSSS funded students whose ESRC funding began after October 2024 only.

Contact for Queries

Mingyu Zhu, Research Associate, Mingyu.zhu@glasagow.ac.uk

 

How to Apply

Please submit an application via SGSSS Apply using placement reference number  C03_5.

The deadline to apply is 15 June 2026 at 4pm. Shortlisted applicants may be invited to interview.

For further information, please consult the Research in Practice Guidance for Students. If this does not answer your questions, please contact SGSSS: team@sgsss.ac.uk.

 

Submit application via SGSSS Apply
Download Placement Information Document
Download the Research in Practice Guidance for Students

Please contact team@sgsss.ac.uk if you require this information in another format.

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