Research Supervisor Connect
Sonja van Wichelen is Professor of Anthropology and Sociology in the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Sydney. Her research takes place on the cross-disciplinary node of law, life, and science in a globalizing world. At the moment she is working on the postcolonial politics of bioscience governance in Southeast Asia, with a particular focus on Indonesia.
Sociology and Criminology, School of Social and Political Sciences (SSPS)
Research interests
Sonja's general research interests include postcolonial science studies, legal anthropology, and the sociology of globalization. A common thread throughout her work is seeing how "things" are made to circulate across borders and the role of institutions and publics in brokering these flows. Previous projects focused on cross-border reproductive technologies (including adoption and surrogacy), global migration, and transnational religion, and were spread over four fieldwork sites: the United States, the Netherlands, Indonesia, and Australia.
More recently, Sonja is focusing on three new areas that traverse the fields of science and technology studies and the anthropology of law. With her long-time collaborator, Marc de Leeuw, she is further developing the concept of biolegality, which examines the constitutive relation between biology and law in the formation of knowledge and sociality. Her second area of research is concerned with the changing forms of bioscience governance (including the circulation of its materials and information) in an era of "postgenomic" research. Sonja's third research foci brings questions of biolegality and bioscience governance to bear on North-South relations. Looking at Southeast Asia (and Indonesia in particular), she examines the postcolonial and regional politics of bioscientific exchange.
Supervision
Sonja van Wichelen welcomes queries from research students interested in science and technology studies, biotechnology and reproduction, global sociology, and the anthropology of law.
1. If you are interested in this research opportunity, you are encouraged to email the potential supervisor directly. To find their email address, follow the link provided to their profile page.
When contacting them, you should describe your academic educational background and research experience, and include an academic transcript and CV (resume). You should also include a research proposal (1500-2000 words); refer to How to write a research proposal for guidance. You should explain why you want to undertake a PhD and how you believe your research topic aligns with the supervisor’s own research. You may be asked to supply a sample of written work.
2. Your potential supervisor may offer you advice on developing your research proposal before you submit your application. You will need to provide a written statement from your potential supervisor that they have agreed to supervise your project.
3. If you would like general advice in your subject area before submitting an application, contact an academic advisor listed here: https://www.sydney.edu.au/arts/study/postgraduate-research/postgraduate-research-contact.html
The opportunity ID for this research opportunity is 3251