Postdoctoral Position in Asian Studies

The Asian Dynamics Initiative and the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies, University of Copenhagen (UCPH), invite candidates for a postdoctoral position in Asian Studies. The field of specialism is open, but we are especially interested in candidates working on modern and contemporary East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia in fields across the humanities and social sciences. Successful candidates may be affiliated with an appropriate academic department.

The position is for 24 months, from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2023 or as soon as possible thereafter.

Introduction

University of Copenhagen (founded 1479) is a major European research university with 37,500 students and 9,400 staff, located across four campuses in the Danish capital. It is the largest educational institution in Denmark.

Asian Dynamics Initiative (ADI) is a cross-faculty Asia focus at the University of Copenhagen. ADI aims at coordinating existing research and teaching on Asia as well as creating a common platform for new, interdisciplinary Asian studies and research.

The overall purpose of the initiative is to strengthen and develop research and teaching on Asia. ADI organizes interdisciplinary research activities, courses, seminars and workshops covering social, economic, political, cultural, and religious complexities in Asia. ADI is based in the Faculty of Humanities and the Faculty of Social Sciences.

The Nordic Institute of Asian Studies (NIAS), founded in 1968, is a well-established research centre, with a particular focus on social science and humanities research on contemporary Asia. NIAS has a broad Nordic mandate and a range of partners around the region, but is administratively part of the University of Copenhagen and hosted by the Department of Political Science.

For further details, see these webpages:
https://about.ku.dk/facts-figures/
https://asiandynamics.ku.dk/english/about-asian-dynamics-initiative/
https://nias.ku.dk

Duties and Responsibilities

• Research and publishing in the field of appointment
• Teaching an Asia-related class in an appropriate Department
• Creating greater educational synergies between Humanities and Social Science in the field of Asian studies
• Collaborating on the development of relevant grant and funding applications
• Strategic communication, including podcasts, media, social media and outreach activity

Your Competencies and Opportunities

Competencies

Essential

The candidate must have:

• Obtained a PhD degree in humanities or social science field
• Expertise in Asian studies demonstrated through one or more competencies including language proficiency, scholarly networks and collaborations in the region.  
• Track record of academic publications with well-regarded journals and/or publishers, and/or advanced plans for turning the PhD thesis into such publications
• A research agenda related to Asian studies

Desirable

Preferably, the candidate will also have:

• Experience of teaching at university level
• Experience of presenting academic papers at international conference and seminars
• Asian language competency
• Experience in engaging with and presenting to external users of academic research
• Experience in working on research grants from international sources

Terms of Employment

The recruitment process

Further information on the recruitment process at University of Copenhagen can be found here:  https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/

An Equal Opportunity Workplace

The University of Copenhagen is committed in its pursuit of academic excellence to equality of opportunity and to creating an inclusive working environment and therefore encourages all qualified candidates to apply, regardless of personal background, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, ethnicity etc. For more on the diverse working place environment at the University and the University’s participation in the HRS4R HR Excellence in Research, see https://employment.ku.dk/working-at-ucph/eu-charter-for-researchers/

International applicant?

The University of Copenhagen offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including support before and during your relocation and career counselling to expat partners. Please find more information about these services as well as information on entering and working in Denmark here: https://ism.ku.dk/

Contact information

Additional information about the position can be obtained from Duncan McCargo, e-mail: duncan@nias.ku.dk , phone +45 353-24628.

Further information about the application procedure is available from HR, e-mail: hrsc@hrsc.ku.dk . Please refer to ID number 211-0629/20-2I #1.

How to apply

Submit a complete application at our online portal. Click on the “Apply now” icon at the bottom of the page to apply. The documents must be in Adobe PDF or Word.  

Your application must be written in English and include the following documents:

• Cover letter explaining your motives for applying
• Curriculum vitae
• Diplomas (master and bachelor)
• Two sample publications or conference papers 
• A 2-page research proposal outlining the project you would carry out under the auspices of the postdoctoral fellowship, and the expected deliverables in terms of publications and grant applications (Submit the document in Adobe PDF or Word format under the section other relevant material).

The closing date for applications is the 8 of January 2021, 23:59 CET.

Applications or enclosures received thereafter will not be considered.

Part of the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU), and among Europe’s top-ranking universities, the University of Copenhagen promotes research and teaching of the highest international standard. Rich in tradition and modern in outlook, the University gives students and staff the opportunity to cultivate their talent in an ambitious and informal environment. An effective organisation – with good working conditions and a collaborative work culture – creates the ideal framework for a successful academic career.