PhD / Doctorate •

Degree

Dr phil / Dr rer nat
(depending on the discipline)

In cooperation with

Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung), German Electron Synchrotron (DESY Deutsches Elektronen-Synchroton), Hamburg University of Technology (TU Hamburg), Helmut Schmidt University of the German Federal Army (Helmut-Schmidt-Universität der Bundeswehr), Institute of Information Systems at the University of Lübeck, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (Universitätsklinikum Eppendorf)

Teaching language

• English

Languages

All lectures, workshops and colloquia in the curriculum of the doctoral programme are held in English.

Programme duration

6 semesters

Beginning

Only for doctoral programmes: any time

Application deadline

New doctoral candidates are recruited through job postings at the "Understanding Written Artefacts" Cluster of Excellence. The individual application deadline for each doctoral position is announced in the posting: https://www.csmc.uni-hamburg.de/about/vacant-positions.html

Tuition fees per semester in EUR

None

Combined Master's degree / PhD programme

Yes

Joint degree / double degree programme

No

Description/content

The doctoral programme is part of the "Understanding Written Artefacts – Material, Interaction and Transmission in Manuscript Cultures" Cluster of Excellence, which seeks to develop a global framework for the study of all written artefacts from the beginning of writing to the present day and from all African, Asian and European regions that have produced such artefacts.

Written artefacts are examined in an interdisciplinary setting of a broad range of subjects from the humanities, the natural sciences, computer science, and cognitive psychology (see list below).

Research is organised thematically in eleven research fields :

Artefact Profiling, Inscribing Spaces, Creating Originals, (Re-)Shaping Written Artefacts, Archiving Artefacts, Data Linking, Keeping Note(book)s, Exploring Multilingual Written Artefacts, Formatting Multigraphic Artefacts, Situating Graffiti, Selecting Materials

as well as six working groups :

The Palm-Leaf Manuscript Profiling Initiative; Theory and Terminology (TNT); Facing New Technologies (FNT); Asian Highland Manuscripts; Ethics Working Group; Permanent Seminar on Manuscript Analysis, Description, and Documentation

Participating disciplines include:

• African Languages and Linguistics
• Ancient History
• Archaeometry
• Art History
• Assyriology
• Austronesian Studies
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Classical Archaeology
• Computer Science
• Coptology
• Cultural Anthropology
• Ethiopian Studies
• Experimental Psychology
• Finno-Ugrian Studies
• German Language and Literature (Theatre Studies)
• Church History
• Indology/Southeast Asian Studies
• Iranian Studies
• Islamic Studies
• Japanese Studies
• Jewish Philosophy and Religion
• Medieval and Modern History
• Mineralogy
• Musicology
• Performance Studies
• Physics
• Radiology
• Sinology
• Southeast Asian History
• Tamil Studies
• Thai and Lao Studies
• Turkish Studies
• Vietnamese Studies
• Zoology

Course organisation

For each candidate, the main focus of the doctoral project is the work on his or her individual research question, framed by one of the research fields of the Cluster of Excellence (see description in the "Description / content" section).

This individual project is accompanied by a variety of structured elements, the actual doctoral programme. It takes three years (six semesters) to complete, and it consists of the following:

• an introductory workshop
• two alternating series of lectures (on histories and typologies of written artefacts)
• comparative and methodological workshops
• the doctoral colloquium with own contributions in the first, fourth and sixth semester.

In addition, many talks, workshops, study days and conferences are organised at the CSMC and abroad, serving as platforms for scholarly and scientific exchange to researchers of all career stages: doctoral and postdoctoral researchers, professors, visiting fellows, etc.

International elements

• Specialist literature in other languages
• Courses are led with foreign partners
• Projects with partners in Germany and abroad
• International comparisons and thematic reference to the international context
• Content-related regional focus

Teaching/work obligations or opportunities

Doctoral candidates with positions in the Cluster work in a specific project and are part of the research field, with all activities involved.

There is no teaching obligation.

Special promotion / funding of the programme

• DFG (e.g. Research Training Groups)

Course-specific, integrated German language courses

No

Course-specific, integrated English language courses

No

Tuition fees per semester in EUR

None

Semester contribution

There is a semester contribution of approx. 340 EUR per semester. This includes a semester ticket covering public transport in the Hamburg metropolitan area.

Costs of living

We recommend that single students budget at least 900 EUR per month to meet personal expenses (accommodation, living, health insurance, books).

Funding opportunities within the university

Yes

Description of the above-mentioned funding opportunities within the university

Doctoral candidates can enter our programme on working positions as Research Associates.

Academic admission requirements

Academic qualification

Applicants must hold a degree (e.g. Master's degree, "Magister", "Diplom", state exam) from a university or equivalent higher education institution in one of the academic disciplines represented in the "Understanding Written Artefacts" Cluster. The performance in the subject that is to become the discipline of doctoral study has to be above average (at least "good" in the German system or equivalent).

Only doctoral subjects from the Faculty of Humanities or the Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences at Universität Hamburg can be chosen.

Fast-track option

Exceptionally qualified applicants can enter the doctoral programme directly with only a Bachelor's degree (that is materially relevant to the dissertation project). The corresponding Master's degree and the doctoral degree are then pursued at the same time.

Language requirements

We expect excellent skills in spoken and written English, as it is not only the working language at the research centre, but also the language in which the dissertation is written and defended. Applicants are therefore asked to provide appropriate evidence of their English language proficiency.

The programme does not require any German skills. However, doctoral candidates are encouraged to participate in our free German course to make communication and interaction in their daily life in Hamburg easier.

Application deadline

New doctoral candidates are recruited through job postings at the "Understanding Written Artefacts" Cluster of Excellence. The individual application deadline for each doctoral position is announced in the posting: https://www.csmc.uni-hamburg.de/about/vacant-positions.html

Submit application to

Doctoral positions in the Cluster are announced on our website .

Candidates who would like to apply for the doctoral programme with their own funding (e.g. a scholarship) are asked to get in touch with the coordinator of the Graduate School for further information: [email protected] .

Accommodation

Accommodation is available through the "Studierendenwerk" (student services) or on the private market. The "Studierendenwerk" provides rooms in halls of residence, most of which are single rooms with shared kitchens and showers/WCs. We strongly advise students and researchers to arrange accommodation prior to arriving in Hamburg, as demand for affordable accommodation is sometimes larger than supply.
For more information on how to find accommodation and how to plan your first steps in Hamburg, please see: https://www.uni-hamburg.de/piasta/beratung/doc/willkommen.pdf .

Structured research and supervision

Yes

Research training / discussion

Yes

Career advisory service

Doctoral students benefit from soft skill trainings and mentoring schemes offered at the research centre.

Individual consultations provide orientation and help doctoral students plan their careers, be it within academia or in other sectors.

Career talks and workshops for developing professional skills are also available through the Hamburg Research Academy to doctoral and early career researchers.

The university's career centre helps with checking application documents. It also organises events such as a career day and job fairs.

Support for international students and doctoral candidates

• Specialist counselling

General services and support for international students and doctoral candidates

The Department of International Affairs offers comprehensive international student support. In addition to professional advising and counselling during all stages of the course of study, there is close cooperation with other advisory and counselling services at Universität Hamburg. International students will thus receive the necessary support and advice at any point during their studies.

Universität Hamburg’s Welcome Service supports international researchers, including doctoral researchers, who wish to stay for at least one month at Universität Hamburg. The Welcome Service provides information, advice, and help with several administrative issues such as: entering Germany, health insurance, the housing search, dealing with authorities, and even looking for a suitable kindergarten.

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