Job advertisement
reference number 65/2025
At the Max-Weber-Kolleg of the University of Erfurt, as part of the ERC Advanced Grant No. 101141293: „(De)Colonizing Sharia?“ Tracing Transformation, Change and Continuity in Islamic Law in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in the 19th and 20th Centuries (DeColSharia) the following position with 26 hours per week is available at the earliest possible date:
Research Assistant (f/m/x)
Pay category E 13 TV-L (65 %)
This is a PhD position at 0.65 FTE at the grade of E13 according to the German academic pay scale, with full state insurance and pension benefits. Please note that the position requires being present at the Max Weber Centre for Advanced Cultural and Social Studies in Germany, though the researcher will make periodic trips abroad for fieldwork.
Re-founded in 1994 as a reform university, the University of Erfurt considers itself as a research-oriented university that is highly committed to international cooperation as well as innovation in teaching and learning, with a special focus on teacher-training programs. With its strong profile in the humanities, cultural studies as well as social sciences and education, it is a cosmopolitan place for academic debate on key social and cultural challenges.
Area of Responsibility
* Independent academic research and publication (doctoral project)
* Field: Research on Islamic law in the colonial period
* Region: MENA states ideally with a focus on Saudi Arabia
* Provision of academic services within the framework of the project
What we expect
* Particularly qualified academic degree (M.A.) in Arabic/Islamic Studies or a comparable discipline
* Research specialization in modern Islamic law and/or in the fields of law/politics/(post)colonialism
* Desirable: knowledge of pre-modern law/colonial law
* very good knowledge of Arabic, English, if possible, Persian/Turkish/Ottoman Turkish, if possible, German
What we offer
The University of Erfurt promotes the compatibility of career and family/private life and supports flexible working hours. For academic staff, it offers a wide range of further training opportunities as well as coaching and mentoring as part of academic staff development (). In addition, there are a number of health and prevention offers as part of the company health management programme.
Comments/Remarks
The German version of this job advertisement alone shall be legally binding.
The position is limited to four years, maximum until October 31, 2029.
The advertisement is addressed to applicants who fulfill the requirements of the German Act on Temporary Scientific Contracts (Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz). The general requirements for employment according to § 91 section 5 Thuringian Higher Education Act (Thüringer Hochschulgesetz) apply.
If you have a foreign university degree, it is necessary that you apply for a certificate application at the Central Office for Foreign Education (Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen, ZAB). We recommend that you attach the corresponding certificate to your application documents, but you can also provide this certificate at a later stage of the process. Please note that this is a chargeable service provided by the ZAB. For more information, please visit.
The University of Erfurt sees itself as an open-minded employer that values diversity. It is committed to diversity and gender equality and welcomes applications that contribute to this. The University of Erfurt has successfully passed the "shaping diversity" audit, has been audited as a "family-friendly university" and regulary participates successfully in the female professor programme of the federal and state governments.One of the university's strategic goals is increasing the proportion of women in re-search and teaching. Severely disabled persons and those with equal status are given preference in the case of equal suitability, professional performance, and ability. It should be noted that even in the case of a repeated application or previous employment at the University of Erfurt, explicit reference must be made to the severe disability or equal status in the application, as this information is not automatically taken into account in the present procedure for data protection and organizational reasons.
For questions regarding content, please contact Prof. Dr. Irene Schneider (e-mail: irene.schneider@uni-erfurt.de ). More information can be found with this Link .
Application and Deadline
Please send your application with informative documents (cover letter, curriculum vitae, copies of certificates, description of the doctoral project of four pages, list of publications and university courses, if applicable) exclusively online by 29.09.2025 via the application management system of the University of Erfurt.
Reimbursement of Expenses
The University of Erfurt does not refund any costs incurred in the application process.