31.01.2025 - 23:59:58

Call for Applications: Doctoral Researchers at GRK 2833 East Asian Futures

Application Deadline: Jan. 31, 2025  | Seven Doctoral Researchers

The DFG Research Training Group 2833 East Asian Futures: Visions and Realizations on National, Transregional and Global Scales offers seven 0,75 TV-L E13 positions at Ruhr University Bochum and the University of Duisburg-Essen for Doctoral Research (m,f,x) from Oct 1, 2025 till Sep 30, 2029.

The interdisciplinary Research Training Group GRK 2833 solicits doctoral dissertations for research on East Asian projections and conceptions of the future: how they emerged, on what premises they were based, and how they have been and continue to be applied to the paradigmatic fields of (1) language, religion, and ideology, (2) self and society, (3) resources and technology, and (4) sovereignty and governance. The temporal focus is on the modern and contemporary periods. The relevant fields of research are

• Area Studies: Sinology/Chinese Studies, Japanese Studies, Korean Studies and/or
• further disciplines with a strong focus on East Asia, such as Social Sciences (Political Science, Economics, Sociology), History, Religious Studies, Linguistics, Literary Studies.

The doctoral studies will be conducted at the Faculty of East Asian Studies at the Ruhr University Bochum (RUB) and the Institute of East Asian Studies at the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE), respectively its constituting faculties, with periods of fieldwork and archival/library research in East Asia. The participating researchers cooperate and coordinate their activities in the Alliance for Research on East Asia (AREA) Ruhr. GRK 2833 is supported by a grant of the German Research Foundation (DFG) funded by the German federal government and the federal states. For further information on the research programme and the curriculum for doctoral researchers, please refer to the GRK 2833 website: https://east-asian-futures.de

Extent: part-time
Duration: temporary
Beginning: Oct 1, 2025
Application deadline: Jan 31, 2025

Your tasks

• Conducting doctoral research, including fieldwork in East Asia.
• Submitting a doctoral thesis after max. four years.
• Participating in the structured, English-language doctoral curriculum of the Research Training Group GRK 2833.
• Participating in the outreach activities of the Research Training Group.

Your profile

• You hold an above-average Master’s degree (or equivalent qualification) in a discipline relevant to the chosen project.
• You command the ability to formulate an original research question independently and to plan a research design to answer the question.
• You are highly motivated to work in an interdisciplinary research environment.
• You have excellent written and oral skills in English and a high command of at least one East Asian language (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Tibetan, classical and/or modern).
• You are willing to conduct academic research also in a non-European context.
• You have a strong interest and an initial idea for a doctoral project in the research programme East Asian Futures, relating to one or several of the four subthemes.

Our offer

• Challenging and varied tasks with a high degree of personal responsibility
• Team-oriented cooperation in a committed, international and appreciative team
• Employment at one of Germany’s largest universities in the University Alliance Ruhr network
• Support in reconciling family and work/academics (including childcare placement, holiday offers, mobile children’s room).
• You will benefit from being a member of the AREA Ruhr with its wide research network and of the respective graduate centres Research School at RUB and Graduate Centre Plus at UDE under the umbrella of the Research Academy Ruhr (RAR), which provide research and learning environments with structured guidance on academic skills training, support for attending conferences, and manifold opportunities for networking and career development.

Required documents

1. a cover letter
2. a CV including relevant information on the candidate’s academic formation
3. certifications of degrees, academic performance, and tested proof of language skills, especially the proficiency in one or more East Asian languages
4. a synopsis of the prospective dissertation / postdoctoral research topic (maximum of 5000 words, references not included)
5. a writing sample in English (ideally an excerpt of the master’s or doctoral thesis or a translated summary thereof)

Additional information
The staff council may be involved in selection interviews.
As the position is funded by third-party funds, the employee has no teaching obligation.

The Ruhr-Universität Bochum is one of Germany’s leading research universities, addressing the whole range of academic disciplines. A highly dynamic setting enables researchers and students to work across the traditional boundaries of academic subjects and faculties. To create knowledge networks within and beyond the university is RUB’s declared aim.
The Ruhr-Universität Bochum stands for diversity and equal opportunities. For this reason, we favour a working environment composed of heterogeneous teams, and seek to promote the careers of individuals who are underrepresented in our respective professional areas. The Ruhr-Universität Bochum expressly requests job applications from women. In areas in which they are underrepresented they will be given preference in the case of equivalent qualifications with male candidates. Applications from individuals with disabilities are most welcome.

Contact details for your application
Simone KORTUNG, Phone: +49 234 32 12279
Nora BRASSE, Phone: +49 234 32 12116
All interviews will be conducted online.

For information on the collection of personal data in the application process see here: https://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/en/information-collection-personal-data-application-process

Please upload your application with the specification ANR: 4034 until January 31, 2025 in one pdf file onto the application platform: https://east-asian-futures.de/application/requirements/

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