31.01.2025 - 23:59

Call for Applications: Affiliated Fellowships for Doctoral Research at GRK 2833 East Asian Futures

Application Deadline: Jan. 31, 2025  | Six Affilliated Fellowships for Doctoral Research in Bochum and Duisburg

Starting date: October 1, 2025

Fields of research
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

Scope of the programme
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 fellowship positions are limited to the finalization of the candidate’s doctoral studies or a maximum of four years. The doctoral fellows are expected to apply for and secure external funding prior to or at the same time as applying for the doctoral fellowship in the Research Training Group GRK 2833 East Asian Futures (such as DAAD or other scholarships). The candidate’s applications for external funding will be supported by GKR 2833 and assisted if necessary. Upon admission, they are eligible for support of their fieldwork by travel grants of the German Research Foundation (DFG) for associated doctoral researchers in the Research Training Group GRK 2833 East Asian Futures. 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.

The English-language doctoral programme includes a structured curriculum and close guidance by experienced researchers while at the same time fostering early academic independence and creativity by providing support for conducting, presenting, and publishing the results of the RTG members’ research.

Doctoral researchers will be supervised by two professors affiliated with the East Asian Studies Departments of both universities. The list of participating supervisors is installed on the website of the programme. For further information and possible topics of dissertations see the GRK 2833 programme: https://east-asian-futures.de

What we offer

• You will work within the stimulating and inspiring research environment of the coordinated research programme East Asian Futures.
• 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.
• Equality in research includes the element of empowerment and diversity. To work towards these aims, both universities offer separate and joint programmes for gender mainstreaming and mentoring.
• After the successful doctoral defense, the research and training group supports graduates to find their way into successful academic and non-academic careers in Europe and worldwide

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.

Recognising the relevance of gender and diversity is a central strategic criterion of sustainable university development for the RUB and the UDE. Both RUB and UDE are committed to integrating talented people into the groups of researchers and educators, regardless of gender, socioeconomic background, and ethnicity, and to promoting their careers in areas where they are underrepresented. Applications are also welcome from suitably qualified candidates with severe disabilities.

For details of the application process, please visit the GRK 2833 website with the explanation of the documents required for submitting an application: https://east-asian-futures.de

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)

Relevant dates for applications
Starting date for applications (platform opening): December 1, 2024
Screening of applications: February 2025
Online interviews: End of February / March 2025
Notification on admission: April/May 2025
Deadline: January 31, 2025

Upload and contact
Applications should be uploaded via the application platform (https://east-asian-futures.de/application/requirements/ ) and be addressed to Prof. Dr. Christine MOLL-MURATA, Speaker of the GRK 2833.
For questions, please refer to the FAQs or send an E-mail to application@east-asian-futures.de