Dear Colleagues,
I would like to alert you to one Post-Doc and three PhD positions open in Freiburg (start date: June / September this year). Would you be so kind to circulate these among your students / colleagues?
As it will take a couple of days until the offer will be online on the system in Freiburg, I am pre-circulating now. Inquiries about the jobs may be addressed to me directly.
Thanks for your support and best regards,
Lena (Henningsen) <Lena.Henningsen@sinologie.uni-freiburg.de>
(1) Post-Doctoral Researcher in the ERC funded research project The Politics of Reading in the People’s Republic of China (READCHINA)
Full position, 5 years (2 + 3 years, TV-L 13); starting date: 1 June, 2018
The ERC Project “The Politics of Reading in the People’s Republic of China (READCHINA)” investigates the politics and practices of reading in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), their interpretation and their impact on social and intellectual change. The main objective of the study is a reinvestigation of literary history and cultural policy of the PRC from the perspective of the ordinary reader. This grassroots approach means turning away from the established focus on authors and the political context. Instead, READCHINA will investigate the social conditions under which texts were read, what influences this had on the lives of individuals, on social, intellectual and literary change in China, and on the modes of production, distribution and consumption of literature.
Prospective sub-projects could investigate topics such as:
Collective reading in Maoist China
Grassroots reading during the Cultural Revolution
Reading leisure and consumption in Post-Mao China
Electronic reading
READCHINA considers the reading of literature as part of a wider web of reading materials, including different media and non-fictional texts. Primary sources will consist among others of archival material, field work interviews, autobiographies, marketing materials, statements by fans in online forums, and literary texts. Combining literary analysis with historical and ethnographical inquiry, as well as methods from the digital humanities, READCHINA will contribute to the fields of literary history and literary sociology. Moreover, in combining close readings of texts with distant reading methods, READCHINA will also foster our understanding of the meaning and impact of popular literature in China and of literary theories on reading, and thus also bring 20th and 21st century China into the global history of reading.
The post-doctoral candidate is expected to conduct a project on Reading Practices in the People’s Republic of China, and supervise the Digital Humanities components of the research project. The project will begin in June 2018. The position will be available for two years, with the option of an extension for another three years.
Offer Requirements
REQUIRED LANGUAGES
ENGLISH, CHINESE: Excellent
GERMAN: Basic knowledge of German would be welcome, though not essential
Skills/Qualifications
We are looking for a post doc with a demonstrated research qualification in Chinese Studies and Digital Humanities, as demonstrated by an excellent PhD and strong research output, such as published (or accepted) papers and conference participations. A focus on Chinese literature (either modern or pre-modern) or Chinese book studies would be welcome. The successful candidate is expected to develop and conduct a research project that, preferably, focuses on electronic reading. The concrete set-up for the research-project will be fine-tuned in cooperation with the PI. S/He will also contribute to joint research projects by some/all project members focusing on longue-durée developments of reading practices and their meanings.
The Institute of Chinese Studies at Freiburg University offers an intellectually stimulating and vibrant environment for research and scholarly exchange. We are looking for a person with great interpersonal skills who will engage actively in the discussions with the other members of the team, and who is excited by the prospect of diachronic and comparative work. The post-doc will work together with the Principal Investigator, train the team of three PhD students, and be involved in their supervision. The successful candidate will also be part of collaborative activities, present his/her research on national and international conferences, and co-organize workshops and conferences. A strong background and/or interest in interdisciplinary work is highly desirable as well as the willingness to conduct field work in China.
Selection process
Your application should include the relevant documents:
Motivation letter
CV including lists of publications
copy of PhD certificate (or proof of completion of the formal requirements for a PhD)
MA certificate and transcript(s) of records
Names, affiliation and contact details of two potential referees
2-5 page exposé of the research project
copy of one academic publication, preferably peer-reviewed.
Please send these as three pdf files (one for items 1-5, and one for exposé and publication each) via e-mail to the Principal Investigator, Jun.Prof. Dr. Lena Henningsen (Lena.Henningsen@sinologie.uni-freiburg.de).
Deadline for applications: March 18, 2018.
Job interviews will take place in April 2018. Travel expenses in the context of the interview will be covered.
The position will be paid according to the German pay scale system (TV-L E 13, 100%).
Applications from women are particularly welcome.
For important legal information see http://www.uni-freiburg.de/stellen
(2) Doctoral Researcher (PhD position) in Chinese Studies, ERC-Project “The Politics of Reading in the People’s Republic of China (READCHINA)”
Duration: four years (2 + 2 years, 65%, TV-L 13)
The ERC Project “The Politics of Reading in the People’s Republic of China (READCHINA)” investigates the politics and practices of reading in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), their interpretation and their impact on social and intellectual change. The main objective of the study is a reinvestigation of literary history and cultural policy of the PRC from the perspective of the ordinary reader. This grassroots approach means turning away from the established focus on authors and the political context. Instead, READCHINA will investigate the social conditions under which texts were read, what influences this had on the lives of individuals, on social, intellectual and literary change in China, and on the modes of production, distribution and consumption of literature.
Prospective sub-projects could investigate topics such as:
Collective reading in Maoist China
Grassroots reading during the Cultural Revolution
Reading leisure and consumption in Post-Mao China
Electronic reading
READCHINA considers the reading of literature as part of a wider web of reading materials, including different media and non-fictional texts. Primary sources will consist among others of archival material, field work interviews, autobiographies, marketing materials, statements by fans in online forums, and literary texts. Combining literary analysis with historical and ethnographical inquiry, as well as methods from the digital humanities, READCHINA will contribute to the fields of literary history and literary sociology. Moreover, in combining close readings of texts with distant reading methods, READCHINA will also foster our understanding of the meaning and impact of popular literature in China and of literary theories on reading, and thus also bring 20th and 21st century China into the global history of reading.
Offer Requirements
REQUIRED LANGUAGES
ENGLISH, CHINESE: Excellent
GERMAN: Basic knowledge of German would be welcome, though not essential
The successful candidate is expected to develop and conduct a research project that focuses on one of the above-mentioned research foci. The exact scope and outline of the dissertation is to be defined by the PhD students in collaboration with the Principal Investigator.
The project is situated at the Institute of Chinese Studies at University of Freiburg, which offers an intellectually stimulating and vibrant environment for research and scholarly exchange. We are looking for a person with great interpersonal skills who will engage actively in the discussions with the other members of the team as well as of the institute at large, and who is excited by the prospect of diachronic and comparative work.
The doctoral researcher will carry out research under the supervision of the Principal Investigator, and will be required to contribute to the collaborative research project READCHINA. In addition, the successful candidate will also be part of collaborative activities, present her/his research on national and international conferences, and co-organize workshops. A strong background and/or interest in interdisciplinary work is highly desirable as well as the willingness to conduct field work in China.
Selection process
Please submit the following documents as part of your application:
Motivation letter, outlining your motivation for applying and interest in the project
CV, including list of publications and conference participations (if applicable)
Copy of your Master’s degree and transcript of records
Names, affiliation and contact details of two potential referees
Research proposal (2-5 pages)
Writing sample (such as your Master’s thesis or a paper; of these latter two at least one should be in English, the other could also be in German)
Please send these as three pdf files (one for items 1-4, and one for exposé and writing sample each) via e-mail to the Principal Investigator, Jun.Prof. Dr. Lena Henningsen (Lena.Henningsen@sinologie.uni-freiburg.de).
Deadline for application: May 15, 2018.
Interviews will be held in early to mid-June 2018. Travel expenses in the context of the interview will be covered.
The position will be paid according to the German pay scale system (TV-L E 13, 65%). Applications from women are particularly welcome.
For important legal information see http://www.uni-freiburg.de/stellen