Chair of Global History, Faculty of Philosophy

Young, modern, research-orientated:

The University of Potsdam was founded in 1991 and has firmly established itself within the scientific landscape and developed into an outstanding economic factor and growth engine for the region. The university excels in acquiring third-party funds, has received multiple teaching awards, has a very service-oriented administration, and has been honored several times for its family-friendly culture. About 20,000 students and 3,000 employees study and work at three campuses – Am Neuen Palais, Griebnitzsee and Golm – at one of Germany’s most scenic institutions of higher education.

The Chair of Global History, Faculty of Philosophy, at the University of Potsdam, close to Berlin, in Germany invites applications for the following position limited to 3 years, which we seek to fill by April 01, 2025:

Academic Staff Member

Postdoctoral Position

The successful candidate will work 40 hours per week (100 %). The position is classified within remuneration group 13 of the collective wage agreement among the German states (TV-L). The fixed term of employment is in accordance with Section 2 subsection 1 of the German Act on Limited Scientific Contracts (Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz or WissZeitVG). An extension of the contract is possible if personal and legal requirements are met. 

Your Field of Work:

This postdoctoral position allows you to primarily focus on your own research project, while also being involved at the Chair of Global History. The University of Potsdam is situated in one of Germany’s premier research locations just outside of the capital of Berlin and offers a rich research landscape both in terms of archives and international academic communities.

The Chair of Global History at the University of Potsdam was established in 2020 and is committed to the study of African history as an integral part of global history. Global history is taught across epochs. Research and teaching focus on the history of flight and migration, labour history, the history of international organizations and methodological approaches such as oral history. You can find more information at https://www.uni-potsdam.de/en/hi-globalgeschichte/index.

The Scope of Your Responsibilities:

• Time to work on your own research (habilitation or habilitation-equivalent achievement in the German system, or second book project).
• Teaching BA and MA levels in German and English
• Acquisition of third-party funds
• Supporting the professorship in the area of research and applications
• Supporting the administrative activities and academic self-management of the professorship

Your Qualifications:

• Above-average academic university degree
• Completed doctorate, or submitted dissertation, in history or a related discipline with a focus on global history topics
• Field research experience, also in non-European countries
• Methodologically innovative and interdisciplinary teaching experience and familiarity with didactics of new teaching methods including blended or online teaching, and with heterogeneous student groups
• Very good written and spoken German and English skills (if German is not initially spoken, it should be learned while on the job)
• Interest in and willingness to support the Chair of Global History in terms of content and administration

We are also looking for the following competences:

• Applications from all areas of global history are welcome
• A focus on the history of flight or migration and knowledge of African history is desirable
• Familiarity with the methodology of oral history is also desirable
• Further language skills are an advantage

Your Application

Please send us your application by the deadline of January 6, 2025 (including a Letter of motivation briefly describing the current research project and the didactic concept, Curriculum vitae in tabular form, list of publications, list of presentations & invited lectures, list of acquired third-party funds, abstract of the doctoral thesis, a writing sample: a chapter of the dissertation, or a published article or a document accepted for publication)  and provide the ID no. 377/2024. Please send the application materials in one PDF document by email to Hannah Schulze, hannah.schulze@uni-potsdam.de.