8 PhD Positions in Ancient History, Ancient Near Eastern Studies

As part of the Cluster of Excellence “EurAsian Transformations” (CoE EurAsia), the Doctoral College (DK) “Entangled Antiquities” at the University of Innsbruck is advertising up to eight dissertation positions (30 hours/week) for 3 years ( start: October 1st, 2024 ).

The CoE EurAsia researches the transformation processes of Eurasia – understood both as the entirety of the land masses of the two continents Europe and Asia and as an object of discourse – from antiquity to the present ( https://www.oeaw.ac.at/eurasian-transformations / ). Within this broad research spectrum, the DK Entangled Antiquities focuses on the complex interconnections between Europe, Asia and Africa, which date back to around 1500 BC. Go back to the 1st century BC and continue to the present day and were and are often the causes of geopolitical conflicts. A focus of the DK is on the analysis of hyperspatial imaginations, discourses and connectivity that connected different imperial structures, ethnic diasporas or oikumenes as well as foreign ethnic communities, but also separated them from each other and triggered conflicts ( https://www.uibk.ac.at /de/dk-entangledantiquities/ ).

The dissertation positions are advertised in ancient history and ancient oriental studies , classical archeology and modern German literature to research the following subject areas:

• Ancient spatial concepts and imperial borderlands of the Achaemenid-Persian empire
• Religious communities and corporations as actors in transregional networks in the Eurasian worlds of late antiquity
• Visual Politics between Classicism, Classicism and Orientalism in Antiquity
• Two Empires – The Habsburg Monarchy and its view of Japan
• Habsburg’s border areas – views of Galicia and Bukovina

Main tasks: Promotion and scientific publications within the framework of one of the advertised topic and research fields; Significant participation in the organization of conferences and workshops as well as participation in training and further education measures as part of the Entangled Antiquities doctoral program program; Participation in the further development of the existing DK into a more comprehensive interdisciplinary doctoral program on “ Entanglements and Conflicts in Afro-Eurasian History ”.

Required qualifications: An above-average diploma or master’s degree in the field of ancient history, ancient oriental studies, classical archeology or modern German literature; Methodological skills (varies by subject); clear approaches to interdisciplinary thinking in the master’s thesis or in your own publications; relevant knowledge of relevant ancient and modern languages ​​(varies by subject); very good knowledge of English; High communication and conflict resolution skills (or teamwork skills).

Remuneration: For the advertised dissertation positions, a collective minimum gross salary of € 2,684.10 per month (14 times) is provided for for an employment period of 30 hours per week.

Application: We look forward to receiving your online application by May 31, 2024 . Applications must be submitted electronically to eurasian-transformations@uibk.ac.at (contact person: Astrid Rief). Please include with your application a sample chapter from your thesis, a sketch of ideas for one of the advertised topic and research fields as a dissertation project and two letters of recommendation.