Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Abteilung Haushalt und Personal

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences – Department of Asien and African Studies

The Department of Asian and African Studies at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin is hiring a predoctoral project researcher, who will join the European Research Council-funded project on “Power, Politics and Contestation in Global Technical Standard-Setting (TECHtonics)”, led by Prof. Dr. Sarah Eaton.

TECHtonics offers new theoretical and practical insights on the current transformation and contestation in one key arena of global economic governance: international standardization for emerging technologies. In Work Package 1 (already underway), the research team is studying the determinants of three “rising standards powers” (China, India and Kenya). In Work Package 2, which will commence in early 2026, the team will study the complex forms of contestation now unfolding in international standardization using mixed methods – surveys are combined with in-depth interviews and participant observation. The project is interdisciplinary as it combines insights from the standardization literature, international relations (IR), development studies, legal and regulatory fields as well as area studies.

Job description:

• scientific service in research in the project “Power, Politics and Contestation in Global Technical Standard-Setting (TECHtonics)”
• participation in Work Package 1, through an in-depth case study analysis of Kenya's rise in international standardization governance
• involvement in data collection and analysis in Work Package 2 on "governance ruptures"
• assisting the project team with ERC grant management and organization of associated project events
• tasks for personal scientific qualification (doctoral degree - the dissertation project will address a topic covered in Work Package 1 and be based on qualitative and quantitative empirical research)

Requirements:

• completed scientific university education in a social science discipline (e.g. political science, economics or sociology) or a related field (e.g. area studies)
• fluency in English (at least B2)
• willingness to re-locate to Berlin
• desirable:
  • knowledge of German
  • first experience or strong interest in qualitative and/or quantitative research methods
  • interest, skills, and language proficiency to conduct field research on standardization policy in South Africa and/or Nigeria and/or Kenya and other African countries
  • research focus on standardization politics or closely related issue

The successful candidate will join a small and collegial research team located in the heart of Berlin. There is scope for project members to pursue individual projects while contributing to collaborative project outputs. Generous funding for this project will cover conference travel, extended fieldwork stays and all other research and dissemination costs.

Please send your application (including cover letter, CV and relevant certificates), referencing the job ID DR/196/25 to Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Asien and African Studies, Prof. Dr. Sarah Eaton, Unter den Linden 6, 10099 Berlin or preferably in electronic form as a single PDF file to the secretary's office of the Department for East Asian Studies: ostasienstudien@hu-berlin.de and cc to sarah.eaton@hu-berlin.de.

The Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin is seeking to increase the proportion of women in research and teaching, and specifically encourages qualified female scholars to apply. Severely disabled applicants with equivalent qualifications will be given preferential consideration. People with an immigration history are specifically encouraged to apply. Since we will not return your documents, please submit copies in the application only.

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