2 PhD Student Positions (65%, E13 TV-L, 3 years)

The Chair for Sinology with a focus on the Intellectual and Cultural History of China Institute for Near Eastern and East Asian Languages and Civilizations at FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg (Germany) invites applications for two positions of a PhD student (f/m/d) with an interest in modern or contemporary history of the sciences in China, the transregional history of quantification, or the global history of mathematics and statistics.

The position is part of the interdisciplinary project Quantification from Europe to East Asia funded by the Alexander-von-Humboldt-Foundation (). The PhD project shall focus on political and historical epistemologies of statistical production and social surveys, forecasting practices, or relate to the global/transregional circulations or the political use of quantified knowledge to govern Chinese society. Together with the other project members the applicant will conduct research and contribute to an online encyclopedia of critical terms of quantitative sciences in China and provide support for project publications and the organization of conferences.

Notwendige Qualifikationen:

The successful candidate is expected to

• Hold a Masters degree in Chinese studies, historical sciences or related disciplines,
• Have a strong interest in the role of quantification of social and natural phenomena in science and society,
• Have excellent knowledge of working languages English and Chinese,
• Familiarity with statistical methods or theories is a plus,
• Reside in Erlangen for the duration of the contract.

Befristetes Forschungsvorhaben

We provide an innovative and supportive environment with a yearly travel budget to allow for archival research, field work, and international conference participation. The position is to be filled by February 1st, 2025.FAU is a family-friendly employer and intends to increase the number of women in research and teaching positions and, therefore, strongly encourages female researchers to apply. In its pursuit of academic excellence, FAU is committed to equality of opportunity and to a proactive and inclusive approach, which supports and encourages all under-represented groups, promotes an inclusive culture and values diversity.Please apply by submitting a letter of motivation, a CV, a project description (ca. 1000 words) and contact information (incl. email addresses) for two academic references by 20 October 2024 to Prof. Dr. Andrea Bréard . Inquiries concerning the position may be directed to the project leader beforehand.