Postdoctoral Research Fellow (m/f/d) – Geopolitics and Geo-Economics

The GIGA seeks to appoint a

Postdoctoral Research Fellow (m/f/d) Geopolitics and Geo-Economics with a focus on China/Asia.

Applications are invited for a full-time position, with the offer of an initial three-year contract and the possibility of another three years after successful evaluation and depending on the availability of funds. The successful applicant should start as soon as possible. The position is designed to support further professional qualification, as defined in § 2 WissZeitVG (Academic Fixed-Term Contract Act). The salary is commensurate with EG 13 TV-AVH / TVöD.

The successful candidate will:

• Work on geopolitical/geo-economic issues with a focus on Asia, in particular China. Potential research areas include but are not limited to China’s and/or other Asian countries’ foreign policy approaches (and domestic determinants thereof), international partnerships and intra-regional cooperation, connectivity issues, trade and investment relations, global supply chains, technological competition, and China’s economic and political engagement in/with other world regions. We expect the Postdoctoral Research Fellow to outline a corresponding research agenda.

• Become a member of the GIGA Institute for Asian Studies as well as of one or both of the following cross-regional GIGA Research Programmes (RPs): Globalisation and Development (RP3) or Global Orders and Foreign Policies (RP4).

• Be expected to conduct excellent research with real-world relevance and, accordingly, to participate in regular knowledge-exchange and outreach activities (media engagement, policy-advice activities). There are no teaching obligations for this position, but it will be possible to do so at one of the GIGA’s partner universities.

Mandatory qualifications:

• A doctoral degree (or submitted PhD thesis) in Political Science / International Relations or Economics

• Emerging track record of publication in high-ranking journals on geopolitics and geo-economics issues relevant to Asia, preferably China

• Proven proficiency in state-of-the-art methodological skills

• Fluency in English

Desired qualifications:

• Experience with knowledge-exchange and policy-advice activities

• Emerging third-party-funding track record

• Focus on contemporary China / China’s international role

• Fluency in Chinese or another Asian language

Part-time options will be considered, if so desired by the successful candidate. Diversity and the reconciliation of work and family life are of great importance to the Institute. The GIGA promotes the equality of all genders. Additionally, we actively encourage applications from persons with disabilities.

Please fill out the GIGA application form and send it together with your full application (Ref.-No. GIGA-24-12) – including relevant supporting documentation (short cover letter, CV, list of publications, research outline, other credentials/diplomas/certificates) – as one document that should not exceed 15 pages in length (except for the completed GIGA application form) to the address listed below (email applications are particularly welcome). Please also provide two work samples as separate PDFs. Recommendation letters are optional and should be sent directly to the listed email address, indicating the candidate’s name in the subject line.

German Institute for Global and Area Studies GIGA Institute for Asian Studies Rothenbaumchaussee 32, 20148 Hamburg, Germany Email: Jobs-24-12@giga-hamburg.de.

Screening of applications will begin on 1 September 2024.

For further information, please visit the GIGA homepage or contact Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner (patrick.koellner@giga-hamburg.de) or Prof. Dr. Jann Lay (jann.lay@giga-hamburg.de).