4 three-year (65%) postgraduate positions (f/m/d)

The Research Training Group 2571 “Empires: Dynamic Change, Temporality and Post-Imperial Orders” invites applications for 4 three-year (65%) postgraduate positions (f/m/d).

Application deadline: 21 June 2026
Publication date: 22 May 2026
Start date: 1 November 2026
Scope of work: Part-time position (65 %)
Id no.: 00005001

Description

Funded by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft), the interdisciplinary Research Training Group (RTG) focuses on imperial temporalities and their representation, reflection, memories, resonance, experiences, and manipulation in the context of imperial transformation and in post-imperial orders. Within this framework, the RTG focusses on three main aspects: (a) imperial space, (b) imperial institutions and normative structures, and (c) imperial economies. Representatives of the following disciplines are involved: History of any global area from antiquity to the present, Sociology, Political Science, Near Eastern Studies, and English Literature. In addition, the RTG collaborates with representatives of Economics and European and International Law, who can be involved in the supervision of specific research projects.

In this call we particularly welcome applications from:

Political Science
Sociology
Islamic Studies
History of East Asia
North American and Transatlantic History
Modern History of Europe
Medieval History
Roman History

We are committed to supporting gender, ethnic and cultural diversity and strongly encourage international applicants.

We offer:

a structured research training programme that supports individual research and prepares doctoral candidates for an academic career and other related professional fields
continuous supervision by two professorial members of the RTG
in-depth professional and interdisciplinary exchange
opportunities for international academic networking and career advancement
funding for up to six months abroad at a research institute (https://uni-freiburg.de/empires/partners/) cooperating with our programme, as well as for attending conferences in Germany and abroad

We expect:

an excellent Master’s degree or equivalent, preferably in a field of study represented in the RTG
a dissertation project on a topic within the research framework of the RTG
participation in the research training programme and the events and activities of the RTG
enrollment in the doctoral degree programme at the University of Freiburg
English language proficiency at the level of B2 by the start of the employment
willingness to acquire the German language for communication purposes in the course of employment

There is a statutory requirement of residence in or around Freiburg for the duration of the employment, except for periods of study abroad.

Please submit the following documents in either English or German:

letter of motivation (1–2 pages)
CV
a copy or copies of the university certificate(s) including a transcript of records
outline of the proposed research project (7–10 pages) including a working title, abstract, state of the art, main research questions, theoretical approaches and methodology, and a time schedule
names of two academic referees whom we may contact regarding the scientific qualification, personal suitability, and quality of the application and the project. Applicants who are invited for an interview will be asked to contact their referees and request that they submit their recommendation letter to kontakt@grk2571.uni-freiburg.de by 16 July 2026. We recommend that you inform your referees about the submission details at the time of your application to help them meet the deadline.

Employment is in accordance with the Academic Fixed-Term Contract Law (WissZeitVG) of Germany. Positions will be filled on a fixed-term basis, initially for a period of three years. An extension for the successful completion of the doctorate is possible within the limits of the WissZeitVG.

We specifically invite applications from women.

Please submit your application by 21 June 2026 exclusively via the university’s application system: https://uni-freiburg.de/en/job/00005001/

Please note: Applications via email cannot be accepted and will be deleted to ensure compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation.

Invitations for interviews will be sent out on or around 1 July 2026. Interviews will be held between 16 and 23 July 2026. In case of transatlantic or other long-distance travel, digital interviews will be arranged.

For further information on the RTG and its research programme, please visit https://www.uni-freiburg.de/empires. For inquiries, contact our administrative office kontakt@grk2571.uni-freiburg.de.

For further information, please contact Prof. Dr. Sitta von Reden on the phone number +49 761 203-5453 or e-mail sitta.von.reden@grk2571.uni-freiburg.de.

↓ Download job advertisement (PDF)

Full Professor of Linguistics of African Languages in Context
Salary grade W3 – permanent civil service position – commencing on or after 01.10.2027

The University of Bayreuth is a research-oriented university with internationally competitive, interdisciplinary focus areas in research and teaching. The Faculty of Languages & Literatures at the University of Bayreuth is currently seeking to appoint a

Full Professor of Linguistics of African Languages in Context

at salary grade W3 to commence on or after 01.10.2027. This is a permanent civil service position.

The successful candidate will cover the full spectrum of African linguistics in both research and teaching. A clearly defined specialization in the linguistics of African languages (African studies) is required, with links to sociolinguistics, anthropological linguistics and/or discourse analysis, including approaches from translation studies in the context of African languages. The professorship focuses on the cultural embedding of African languages in various social contexts, on language contact and multilingualism, and on communicative practices. A regional specialization outside East Africa is required.

A proven track record in empirical and field research is required, combining structural-linguistic analyses with sociolinguistic, ethnographic, interactional, translation studies or discourse analytical approaches. Relevant experience in research and teaching in the field of African linguistics (African Studies) is expected, as well as native or near-native proficiency in at least one African language. Internationally recognized publications and evidence of successful acquisition of external funding are essential requirements for appointment.

Furthermore, a willingness to engage in interdisciplinary collaboration and to participate actively in the University of Bayreuth’s key research areas, particularly within the ‘African Studies’ Research Network, is expected. The professorship works closely with the Institute of African Studies, the multi- and interdisciplinary cluster “Africa Multiple. Reconfiguring African Studies” and the Bayreuth International Graduate School of African Studies (BIGSAS), and also cooperates with related disciplines within the Faculty.

Teaching duties will be carried out primarily in the BA and MA programmes African Studies: Language, Arts, Philosophy as well as in the BA and MA programmes of the Faculty of Languages and Literature. The ability to deliver courses in English and, in the medium term, also in German is expected.

In addition to the general legal requirements, prerequisites for this position are a university degree, a doctoral degree, proven excellence in teaching, and a post-doctoral qualification to teach at a professorial level (Habilitation). Alternatively, evidence of equivalent scholarly achievement, for example as a junior professor or in a non-university environment, will also be considered. Only applicants who are 51 years of age or younger can be hired as civil servants. Exceptions will only be made if there are urgent reasons for doing so (Art. 60 para 3 BayHIG).

The University of Bayreuth views the diversity of its staff as an asset and is expressly committed to the goal of gender equality. Female scholars and any persons who can help make the research and teaching profile of the university more diverse are strongly encouraged to apply. Applicants with children are highly welcome. The University of Bayreuth is a member of the best practice club Family at University, and it offers “dual career support” for career-oriented partners of highly qualified employees. In addition, an extended audit conducted by the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK) returned a favourable review for the University of Bayreuth’s commitment to internationalization. All qualifications being equal, applicants with disabilities will be given priority.

Applications (CV including a list of publications, list of courses taught, experience obtaining external funding, as well as copies of certificates and diplomas) are to be addressed to the Dean of the Faculty of Languages & Literatures Prof. Dr. Gesine Schiewer and submitted via https://uni-bayreuth.berufungsportal.de by 15.07.2026. Applicants are welcome to direct questions and requests for further information to the Dean at dekanat.split@uni-bayreuth.de. Application documents will be deleted in accordance with data protection law following the conclusion of the appointment process.

↓ Download job advertisement (English, PDF)
↓ Download Stellenausschreibung (Deutsch, PDF)

Position Overview

The Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence (https://www.africamultiple.uni-bayreuth.de) is a major collaborative and transcontinental research institution in the field of African Studies. It is comprised of five Africa Multiple Research Centres (AMRCs), based at the University of Bayreuth, Germany; Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya; Rhodes University, Makhanda, South Africa; Joseph Ki-Zerbo University, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; University of Lagos, Nigeria. The AMRCs conduct their work via six Research Sections with members from all locations. To support the Research Sections in the organization of their tasks, the Africa Multiple Cluster seeks to hire Researchers/Senior Researchers – Research Fellows/Senior Research Fellows who coordinate the work of the Research Sections while conducting their own research under the purview of the Research Sections.

Under the current call, we seek to recruit a Researcher/Senior Researcher – Research Fellow/Senior Research Fellow to be affiliated with the Research Section Accumulation and Inequality within the Africa Multiple Cluster. The successful candidate will pursue an independent research project aligned with the thematic focus of Accumulation and Inequality while also serving as Research Section Coordinator, supporting the intellectual, organisational, and administrative functioning of the Research Section.

The Research Section explores how accumulation processes and inequalities interlink in different social domains and trace their consequent implications for livelihoods and larger social and socioenvironmental systems. It also explores the diversity of mechanisms and power-saturated social relations through which accumulation processes take place in African societies, and how these are struggled over. It does so within the Cluster's conceptual framework of multiplicity, relationality, and reflexivity. For more information, please visit https://www.africamultiple.uni-bayreuth.de/en/1_2-Research/Research-Sections/Accumulation/index.html

The Research Section Coordinator will report to the Research Section Representative and work closely with the Steering Committee of the Research Section as well as the Cluster administration.

Key Responsibilities

1. Research

Develop and conduct a research project within the field of accumulation and inequality studies (with a privileged prime focus on accumulation as concept and empirical phenomenon).
Contribute to collaborative research activities within the Research Section.
Publish in peer-reviewed journals and contribute to joint publications.
Participate in conferences, workshops, and Africa Multiple events.
Engage in science communication and the dissemination of results to wider publics.

2. Research Coordination

Work with the Research Section representative and the Steering Committee to implement the research programme of the Research Section.
Convene and coordinate regular Research Section meetings in collaboration with the Research Section Representative.
Coordinate workshops, seminars, and collaborative research activities at the level of the Research Section.

3. Administration

Circulate meeting agendas, document discussions, and monitor follow-up actions.
Assist the Steering Committee in the distribution of funds allocated to the Research Section (e.g. events, conference travel, publication support), including administrative processes connected to the accounting for funds.

Qualifications

PhD in African Studies, Political Economy, Economics, Political Sciences, Sociology, Science and Technology Studies, Gender Studies, Anthropology, Geography, Urban Planning, History, Cultural Studies, or a related field.
Demonstrated expertise in areas related to accumulation and inequality research as well as political economy thinking; a focus on the gendered nature of accumulation dynamics is desirable.
Strong research and publication record appropriate to career stage.
Experience in interdisciplinary and collaborative research environments.
Excellent organisational and coordination skills.
Experience with science communication and/or policy transfer questions will be an asset.
Fluency in English (additional languages used within the Cluster would be an asset).

Profile

The successful candidate will demonstrate intellectual independence, collaborative capacity, administrative competence, and a commitment to ethical and reflexive research practices. The position requires both scholarly excellence and the ability to support the collective functioning of a transcontinental research environment.

Employment

The Researcher/Senior Researcher – Research Fellow/Senior Research Fellow will be employed at one of the Africa Multiple Research Centres on the African continent. For Accumulation, the choice will be between Rhodes University (Makhanda, South Africa) and the University of Lagos (Nigeria). The precise job designation and remuneration will be based on the respective institutional practice.At Rhodes University, annual payment is in the range of 668.000 ZAR (researcher) or 826.000 ZAR (senior researcher); at the University of Lagos, in the range of 23,000,000 NGN.

The contract duration will be 24 months, with a probationary term of six months and the possibility of extension until the end of the Cluster's funding period on December 31, 2032. As the Africa Multiple Cluster encourages exchange and mobility between its locations, it is intended to enable the Research Section Coordinator to spend up to three months at another Africa Multiple Research Centre.

How to apply

To apply for this position, please submit the following documents:

Cover letter (including indication of the preferred location among the Africa Multiple Research Centres listed)
Full CV
Short description (max. 3 pages) of a potential research project to be pursued within the Accumulation and Inequality Research Section
Names and contact information of two references

The application deadline is June 30, 2026. The intended start date is September 1, 2026 or the earliest possible date thereafter. Please submit your dossier by email to therepresentative of the Research Section Accumulation, Prof. Dr. Stefan Ouma, stefan.ouma@uni-bayreuth.de.

In case of questions, please contact stefan.ouma@uni-bayreuth.de.

Position Overview

The Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence (https://www.africamultiple.uni-bayreuth.de) is a major collaborative and transcontinental research institution in the field of African Studies. It is comprised of five Africa Multiple Research Centres (AMRCs), based at the University of Bayreuth, Germany; Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya; Rhodes University, Makhanda, South Africa; Joseph Ki-Zerbo University, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; University of Lagos, Nigeria. The AMRCs conduct their work via six Research Sections with members from all locations. To support the Research Sections in the organization of their tasks, the Africa Multiple Cluster seeks to hire Researchers/Senior Researchers who coordinate the work of the Research Sections while conducting their own research under the purview of the Research Sections.

Under the current call, we seek to recruit a Researcher/Senior Researcher to be affiliated with the Research Section Ecologies within the Africa Multiple Cluster. The successful candidate will pursue an independent research project aligned with the thematic focus of Ecologies while also serving as Research Section Coordinator, supporting the intellectual, organisational, and administrative functioning of the Research Section.

The Research Section Ecologies foregrounds African environments as multiple, relational, and reflexively dynamic socio-ecological systems rather than isolated natural phenomena. With the ambitious goal to reconfigure African Environmental Studies, the Section challenges inherited and dominant ecological science approaches rooted in Global North paradigms that separated nature from society. Instead, African nature-culture relations and ways of knowing, lived experience, social-ecological systems, and historical dynamics and innovations are positioned as essential to contemporary environmental and ecological research in Africa. Addressing these issues the section combines in its concepts and projects bio-physical data analyses with methods from Humanities not in an additive manner but in an integrative approach including non-academic knowledge within the research processes. For more information, see https://www.africamultiple.uni-bayreuth.de/en/1_2-Research/Research-Sections/Ecologies/index.html

The Research Section Coordinator will report to the Research Section Representative and work closely with the Steering Committee of the Research Section as well as the Cluster administration.

Key Responsibilities

1. Research

Develop and conduct a research project in the field of interdisciplinary ecological studies.
Contribute to collaborative research activities within the Research Section.
Publish in peer-reviewed journals and contribute to joint publications.
Participate in conferences, workshops, and Africa Multiple events.
Engage in science communication and the dissemination of results to wider publics.

2. Research Coordination

Work with the Research Section representative and the Steering Committee to implement the research programme of the Research Section.
Convene and coordinate regular Research Section meetings in collaboration with the Research Section Representative.
Coordinate workshops, seminars, and collaborative research activities at the level of the Research Section.

3. Administration

Circulate meeting agendas, document discussions, and monitor follow-up actions.
Assist the Steering Committee in the distribution of funds allocated to the Research Section (e.g. events, conference travel, publication support), including administrative processes connected to the accounting for funds.

Qualifications

PhD in Environmental Sciences, Physical Geography, Ecology, Climatology, Political Ecology, Environmental Humanities, Environmental Education and Learning, or related fields.
Demonstrated expertise in areas related to the research of the Research Section especially in inter- and transdisciplinary research linking bio-physical methods and concepts with methods and concepts in Humanities and Social Sciences.
Strong research and publication record appropriate to career stage, with a special focus on inter- and transdisciplinary topics.
Experience in interdisciplinary and collaborative research environments.
Excellent organisational and coordination skills.
Fluency in English (additional languages used within the Cluster would be an asset).

Profile

The successful candidate will demonstrate intellectual independence, collaborative capacity, administrative competence, and a commitment to ethical and reflexive research practices. The position requires both scholarly excellence and the ability to support the collective functioning of a transcontinental research environment.

Employment

The Researcher/Senior Researcher will be employed at Rhodes University (Makhanda, South Africa). Annual payment is in the range of 668.000 ZAR (researcher) or 826.000 ZAR (senior researcher).

The contract duration will be 24 months, with a probationary term of six months and the possibility of extension until the end of the Cluster's funding period on December 31, 2032. As the Africa Multiple Cluster encourages exchange and mobility between its locations, it is intended to enable the Research Section Coordinator to spend up to three months at another Africa Multiple Research Centre.

How to apply

To apply for this position, please submit the following documents:

Cover letter
Full CV
Short description (max. 3 pages) of a potential research project to be pursued within the Ecologies Research Section
Names and contact information of two references

The application deadline is June 30, 2026. The intended start date is September 1, 2026 or the earliest possible date thereafter. Please submit your dossier by email to the representative of the Research Section Ecologies, Prof. Dr. Cyrus Samimi, cyrus.samimi@uni-bayreuth.de.

In case of questions, please contact cyrus.samimi@uni-bayreuth.de.

Position Overview

The Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence (https://www.africamultiple.uni-bayreuth.de) is a major collaborative and transcontinental research institution in the field of African Studies. It is comprised of five Africa Multiple Research Centres (AMRCs), based at the University of Bayreuth, Germany; Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya; Rhodes University, Makhanda, South Africa; Joseph Ki-Zerbo University, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; University of Lagos, Nigeria. The AMRCs conduct their work via six Research Sections with members from all locations. To support the Research Sections in the organization of their tasks, the Africa Multiple Cluster seeks to hire Researchers/Senior Researchers – Research Fellows/Senior Research Fellows who coordinate the work of the Research Sections while conducting their own research under the purview of the Research Sections.

Under the current call, we seek to recruit a Researcher/Senior Researcher – Research Fellow/Senior Research Fellow to be affiliated with the Research Section Re:membering within the Africa Multiple Cluster. The successful candidate will pursue an independent research project aligned with the thematic focus of Re:membering while also serving as Research Section Coordinator, supporting the intellectual, organisational, and administrative functioning of the Research Section.

The Research Section Re:membering examines how practices of remembering, memorialisation, archiving, and heritage-making contribute to the making and unmaking of worlds in African and African-diasporic contexts. It engages questions of memory politics, contested pasts, ethical remembrance, and decolonial knowledge production within the Cluster's conceptual framework of multiplicity, relationality, and reflexivity. For more information, please visit https://www.africamultiple.uni-bayreuth.de/en/1_2-Research/Research-Sections/remembering/index.html.

The Research Section Coordinator will report to the Research Section Representative and work closely with the Steering Committee of the Research Section as well as the Cluster administration.

Key Responsibilities

1. Research

Develop and conduct a research project within the field of memory, memorialisation, heritage, archives, or related areas.
Contribute to collaborative research activities within the Research Section.
Publish in peer-reviewed journals and contribute to joint publications.
Participate in conferences, workshops, and Africa Multiple events.
Engage in science communication and the dissemination of results to wider publics.

2. Research Coordination

Work with the Research Section representative and the Steering Committee to implement the research programme of the Research Section.
Convene and coordinate regular Research Section meetings in collaboration with the Research Section Representative.
Coordinate workshops, seminars, and collaborative research activities at the level of the Research Section.

3. Administration

Circulate meeting agendas, document discussions, and monitor follow-up actions.
Assist the Steering Committee in the distribution of funds allocated to the Research Section (e.g. events, conference travel, publication support), including administrative processes connected to the accounting for funds.

Qualifications

PhD in African Studies, History, Anthropology, Cultural Studies, Memory Studies, Heritage Studies, Literature, Film, Music, Arts, Linguistics, Sociology, Philosophy, Religious Studies, or a related field.
Demonstrated expertise in areas related to memory, memorialisation, archives, heritage, or decolonial knowledge production.
Strong research and publication record appropriate to career stage.
Experience in interdisciplinary and collaborative research environments.
Excellent organisational and coordination skills.
Fluency in English (additional languages used within the Cluster would be an asset).

Profile

The successful candidate will demonstrate intellectual independence, collaborative capacity, administrative competence, and a commitment to ethical and reflexive research practices. The position requires both scholarly excellence and the ability to support the collective functioning of a transcontinental research environment.

Employment

The Researcher/Senior Researcher – Research Fellow/Senior Research Fellow will be employed at one of the Africa Multiple Research Centres on the African continent. For Re:membering, the choice will be between Moi University (Eldoret, Kenya), Rhodes University (Makhanda, South Africa), Joseph Ki-Zerbo University (Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso) and the University of Lagos (Nigeria). The precise job designation and remuneration will be based on the respective institutional practice. At Moi University, annual payment is in the range of 2,170,000 KSH; at Rhodes University in the range of 668,000 ZAR (researcher) or 826,000 ZAR (senior researcher); at the University of Lagos in the range of 23,000,000 NGN; at Joseph Ki-Zerbo University around 7,000,000 CFA.

The contract duration will be 24 months, with a probationary term of six months and the possibility of extension until the end of the Cluster's funding period on December 31, 2032. As the Africa Multiple Cluster encourages exchange and mobility between its locations, it is intended to enable the Research Section Coordinator to spend up to three months at another Africa Multiple Research Centre.

How to apply

To apply for this position, please submit the following documents:

Cover letter (including indication of the preferred location among the Africa Multiple Research Centres listed)
Full CV
Short description (max. 3 pages) of a potential research project to be pursued within the Re:membering Research Section
Names and contact information of two references

The application deadline is June 30, 2026. The intended start date is September 1, 2026 or the earliest possible date thereafter. Please submit your dossier by email to the representative of the Research Section Re:membering, Prof. Dr. Ute Fendler, ute.fendler@uni-bayreuth.de.

In case of questions, please contact ute.fendler@uni-bayreuth.de.

Position Overview

The Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence (https://www.africamultiple.uni-bayreuth.de) is a major collaborative and transcontinental research institution in the field of African Studies. It is comprised of five Africa Multiple Research Centres (AMRCs), based at the University of Bayreuth, Germany; Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya; Rhodes University, Makhanda, South Africa; Joseph Ki-Zerbo University, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; University of Lagos, Nigeria. The AMRCs conduct their work via six Research Sections with members from all locations. To support the Research Sections in the organization of their tasks, the Africa Multiple Cluster seeks to hire Researchers/Senior Researchers – Research Fellows/Senior Research Fellows who coordinate the work of the Research Sections while conducting their own research under the purview of the Research Sections.

Under the current call, we seek to recruit a Researcher/Senior Researcher – Research Fellow/Senior Research Fellow to be affiliated with the Research Section Translating within the Africa Multiple Cluster. The successful candidate will pursue an independent research project aligned with the thematic focus of Translating while also serving as Research Section Coordinator, supporting the intellectual, organisational, and administrative functioning of the Research Section.

The interdisciplinary Research Section Translating not only investigates translating across languages but also in a broader sense across concepts in a variety of fields from language in education, development projects, religion and verbal arts. The Cluster agenda conceives Africa as part of an entangled, multiple world that is continuously made and unmade through relational processes, which we analyse as processes of translating researching concrete sites, actors and practices. Jointly, the RS critically reflects on the universal: How are seemingly universal concepts like e.g. development or religion made and unmade? Translation processes can impose worlds through classification and subjugation, but can also contest them through relational practices of negotiation, approximation, and creative reimagining. For more information, see https://www.africamultiple.uni-bayreuth.de/en/1_2-Research/Research-Sections/Translating/index.html

The Research Section Coordinator will report to the Research Section Representative and work closely with the Steering Committee of the Research Section as well as the Cluster administration.

Key Responsibilities

1. Research

Develop and conduct a research project aligned with the interests of the RS Translating as described above.
Contribute to collaborative research activities within the Research Section.
Publish in peer-reviewed journals and contribute to joint publications.
Participate in conferences, workshops, and Africa Multiple events.
Engage in science communication and the dissemination of results to wider publics.

2. Research Coordination

Work with the Research Section representative and the Steering Committee to implement the research programme of the Research Section.
Convene and coordinate regular Research Section meetings in collaboration with the Research Section Representative.
Coordinate workshops, seminars, and collaborative research activities at the level of the Research Section.

3. Administration

Circulate meeting agendas, document discussions, and monitor follow-up actions.
Assist the Steering Committee in the distribution of funds allocated to the Research Section (e.g. events, conference travel, publication support), including administrative processes connected to the accounting for funds.

Qualifications

PhD in Translation Studies, African Studies, History, the Study of Religion, Literature, Arts, Philosophy, Music, Linguistics, Legal Studies, Anthropology or related fields.
Demonstrated expertise in areas related to the research of the RS.
Strong research and publication record appropriate to career stage.
Experience in interdisciplinary and collaborative research environments.
Excellent organisational and coordination skills.
Fluency in English (additional languages used within the Cluster would be an asset).

Profile

The successful candidate will demonstrate intellectual independence, collaborative capacity, administrative competence, and a commitment to ethical and reflexive research practices. The position requires both scholarly excellence and the ability to support the collective functioning of a transcontinental research environment.

Employment

The Researcher/Senior Researcher – Research Fellow/Senior Research Fellow will be employed at one of the Africa Multiple Research Centres on the African continent. For Translating, the choice will be between Moi University (Eldoret, Kenya), Rhodes University (Makhanda, South Africa), Joseph Ki-Zerbo University (Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso) and the University of Lagos (Nigeria). The precise job designation and remuneration will be based on the respective institutional practice. At Moi University, annual payment is in the range of 2,170,000 KSH; at Rhodes University around 668.000 ZAR (researcher) or 826.000 ZAR (senior researcher); at the University of Lagos in the range of 23,000,000 NGN; at Joseph Ki-Zerbo University around 7,000,000 CFA.

The contract duration will be 24 months, with a probationary term of six months and the possibility of extension until the end of the Cluster's funding period on December 31, 2032. As the Africa Multiple Cluster encourages exchange and mobility between its locations, it is intended to enable the Research Section Coordinator to spend up to three months at another Africa Multiple Research Centre.

How to apply

To apply for this position, please submit the following documents:

Cover letter (including indication of the preferred location among the Africa Multiple Research Centres listed)
Full CV
Short description (max. 3 pages) of a potential research project to be pursued within the Translating Research Section
Names and contact information of two references

The application deadline is June 30, 2026. The intended start date is September 1, 2026 or the earliest possible date thereafter. Please submit your dossier by email to the representative of the Research Section Translating, Prof. Dr. Clarissa Vierke, clarissa.vierke@uni-bayreuth.de.

In case of questions, please contact clarissa.vierke@uni-bayreuth.de.

Call for the Factory of Ideas Doctoral School 2026

Theme: Worldmaking at the Digital Threshold: Media, Memory, and Cultural Futures in Times of (De)globalization

Factory of Ideas September 14-23, 2026, Eldoret, Kenya

Moi University African Multiple Research Centre (Kenya)

In collaboration with Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Brazil

University of Bayreuth, Germany

The Factory of Ideas 2026 is an international doctoral school that will bring together up to forty PhD candidates from Africa, Latin America, and Europe to critically engage with contemporary transformations in media, technologies, and cultural production. Hosted by the Moi University African Multiple Research Centre, the school is grounded in South–South and South–North intellectual exchange, with particular attention to the historical and contemporary entanglements between Africa, Brazil, and Germany.

Theme

Across the globe, digital media and technologies are reshaping how societies imagine themselves, remember their pasts, and project cultural futures. These transformations unfold unevenly, generating both continuities and ruptures, and producing new tensions between globalization and deglobalization, inclusion and exclusion, creativity and control. The Factory of Ideas Doctoral School 2026 invites participants to critically interrogate these dynamics through interdisciplinary, comparative, and practice-based perspectives.

Areas of Interest

Proposed doctoral projects may engage with, but are not limited to, the following thematic strands:

Media, Technologies, and the Politics of (De)globalization This strand explores how media technologies mediate global connections while simultaneously enabling local, national, and regional reconfigurations.
Experiments in Worldmaking: Arts, Media, and Philosophical Futures Focusing on creative and intellectual experimentation, this theme highlights how artists, filmmakers, thinkers, and communities imagine alternative worlds through media and technology.
The Digital Turn and Social Tensions This area examines issues such as gender, sexuality, and digital publics; age, youth cultures, and intergenerational media practices; as well as ethnicity, nationalism, populism, and digital mobilization.
Memory, Archives, and the Mediation of the Past Digital media are transforming how societies remember, archive, and curate their pasts. This strand investigates the shifting interface between institutions, publics, and emerging technologies of memory.

The school also welcomes critical reflections on research methodologies and creative practices suited to studying media, culture, and memory in rapidly changing technological environments.

Format and Pedagogy

The Factory of Ideas 2026 will combine keynote lectures by leading scholars and practitioners with doctoral workshops and paper clinics, as well as methodology laboratories and creative sessions designed to foster intellectual exchange and collaborative learning.

Who Should Apply

Applications are invited from PhD candidates at different stages of their doctoral studies whose research engages with media, culture, technology, memory, or the arts. Candidates from Africa, South America, and other Global South contexts are particularly encouraged to apply. Interdisciplinary and practice-based doctoral projects are especially welcome.

Submission Guidelines

Abstract: Applicants should submit an abstract of 500 words outlining their doctoral project, its relevance to the theme of the Factory of Ideas Doctoral School 2026, and their methodological approach.
Biographical Note: A short biographical statement of 150 words highlighting the applicant’s academic background and institutional affiliation.

Important Dates

Deadline for submission: April 26, 2026
Notification of acceptance: May 1, 2026

Practical Information

Language: The working language of the school is English.

Sponsorship: Doctoral students affiliated with any of the five AMRCs—Lagos, Rhodes, Bayreuth, Joseph Ki-Zerbo, and Moi—or strategic partner CEAO/UFBA are encouraged to contact their respective Centres to inquire about possible sponsorship opportunities to cover travel and accommodation. However, accommodation for selected participants from outside Eldoret will be paid for by the organisation, as will breakfast and lunch. While the school is tuition-free, travel and other incidental expenses, including visas, will not be covered. Further details regarding travel logistics, accommodation, and meals will be communicated to selected participants.

How to Apply

Please email your abstract and biographical note as a single Word document by April 26, 2026, to:

The Coordinator
Factory of Ideas 2026
Moi University
Email: moiamrc@mu.ac.ke

Download the Call for the Factory of Ideas Doctorial School 2026

Die Universität Bayreuth ist eine forschungsorientierte Universität mit international wettbewerbsfähigen und interdisziplinären Schwerpunkten in Forschung und Lehre. Anfang 2026 ging der Exzellenzcluster Africa Multiple mit Förderung der Exzellenzstrategie des Bundes und der Länder in seine zweite Laufzeit. Das IT-Servicezentrum der Universität Bayreuth ist der zentrale Dienstleister für die IT-Versorgung von Forschung und Lehre an der Universität. Beide Einrichtungen der Universität Bayreuth besetzen zum nächstmöglichen Zeitpunkt zur informationstechnischen Unterstützung des Exzellenzcluster „Africa Multiple“ eine Stelle als

IT-Manager (w/m/d)

in Vollzeit mit einer wöchentlichen Arbeitszeit von derzeit 40,1 Stunden. Die Stelle ist zunächst auf 2 Jahre befristet. Eine Verlängerung bis zum Ende der Laufzeit des Exzellenzclusters (31.12.2032) ist möglich. Die Entgeltzahlung erfolgt entsprechend der persönlichen Voraussetzungen nach TV-L bis E11.

Die Stelle bietet abwechslungsreiche Aufgaben in einem internationalen, dynamischen Team mit regelmäßigen Kontakten zu Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftlern. Hauptarbeitssprachen sind Englisch und Deutsch.

Ihr Aufgabenbereich

ist die informationstechnische Unterstützung der Geschäftsstelle und der Mitglieder des Exzellenzclusters „Africa Multiple“ in Zusammenarbeit und Abstimmung mit dem IT-Servicezentrum.

Administration der IT-Hardware und Software des Exzellenzclusters
Programmierung von Schnittstellen zu vorhandenen Anwendungen
Unterstützung der Nutzenden bei IT-Fragen und Organisation von Schulungen
Betreuung der Videokonferenztechnik im neuen FZA-Gebäude
Einrichtung und Bereitstellung von Microsoft Teams als Kollaborationsplattform mit allen Projektpartnern
Entwicklung von Formularen mit Formcycle

Ihr Profil

abgeschlossenes Hochschulstudium in einer einschlägigen Fachrichtung (z.B. Informatik, Wirtschaftsinformatik) oder vergleichbare Qualifikation
gute Programmierkenntnisse in einer Programmiersprache oder Framework
Erfahrungen in der Systemadministration und der Entwicklung digitaler Lösungen
sehr gute Englischkenntnisse in Wort und Schrift sowie Reisebereitschaft zu den afrikanischen Partnern
ausgezeichnete Deutschkenntnisse in Wort und Schrift; weitere Fremdsprachenkenntnisse sind erwünscht
Bereitschaft zur Einarbeitung in neue Technologien, Methoden und Verfahren
Kommunikations- und Teamfähigkeit, insbesondere in internationalen und interkulturellen Kontexten

Was Sie erwarten können:

eine interessante, abwechslungsreiche Tätigkeit in einem freundlichen, internationalen und unterstützenden Team
spannende Kontakte zu internationalen Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftlern
moderne Arbeitsbedingungen in einem kreativen Arbeitsumfeld
einen krisensicheren Arbeitsplatz an einer modernen Hochschule
flexible Arbeitszeitgestaltung und Möglichkeit zur Arbeit im Homeoffice im Rahmen der geltenden Dienstvereinbarung
Vereinbarkeit von Familie und Beruf
Möglichkeiten zur persönlichen und fachlichen Fort- und Weiterbildung durch verschiedene Fortbildungsangebote
sowie weitere Vorzüge des öffentlichen Dienstes, beispielsweise JobRad, attraktive zusätzliche Altersversorgung bei der Versorgungsanstalt des Bundes und der Länder, vielfältige Angebote der Gesundheitsförderung, z. B. Gesundheitstage, Workshops, Aktiv-Pause sowie Möglichkeit der Teilnahme an einer sehr großen Anzahl unterschiedlichster Sportangebote im Rahmen des allgemeinen Hochschulsports
neben dem Erholungsurlaub und der Möglichkeit der gleitenden Arbeitszeit dienstfrei am 24.12. und 31.12. eines Jahres.

Dienstort ist Bayreuth.

Die Universität Bayreuth schätzt die Vielfalt ihrer Beschäftigten als Bereicherung und bekennt sich ausdrücklich zum Ziel der Chancengleichheit der Geschlechter. Frauen werden hierbei mit Nachdruck um ihre Bewerbung gebeten. Personen, die mehr Vielfalt in das Forschungs- und Lehrprofil der Universität Bayreuth einbringen, sind ausdrücklich zur Bewerbung eingeladen. Bewerberinnen und Bewerber mit Kindern sind sehr willkommen. Die Universität Bayreuth ist Mitglied im Best-Practice Club „Familie in der Hochschule e. V.“, hat erfolgreich am HRK-Audit „Internationalisierung der Hochschule“ teilgenommen und bietet einen Dual Career Support. Personen mit Schwerbehinderung werden bei gleicher Eignung bevorzugt berücksichtigt.

Die Einstellung erfolgt nach § 14 Abs. 2 bzw. 3 des Teilzeit- und Befristungsgesetzes (TzBfG). Eine Befristung ist demnach nicht zulässig, wenn zum Freistaat Bayern bereits zuvor ein befristetes oder unbefristetes Arbeitsverhältnis bestanden hat oder aktuell besteht. Ausgenommen davon sind Bewerberinnen und Bewerber, die bereits das 52. Lebensjahr vollendet haben und die Voraussetzungen des § 14 Abs. 3 TzBfG erfüllen.

Bitte bewerben Sie sich online mit aussagekräftigen Bewerbungsunterlagen bis zum 20. Mai 2026 über das Bewerbungsportal der Universität Bayreuth . Kennung der Ausschreibung: IT-Management

Die Unterlagen werden nach Besetzung der Stelle gem. den Anforderungen des Datenschutzes gelöscht.

Für Rückfragen wenden Sie sich bitte an:

Ansprechpartner im Exzellenzcluster: Herr Dr. Kogelmann, Tel.: 0921/55-6911

Ansprechpartner im IT-Servicezentrum: Herr Dr. Martin, Tel.: 0921/55-5865

Wichtige Hinweise: Bewerbung von schwerbehinderten Menschen

BIGSAS-Scholarships for African Women Scholars based on the Continent

The Bayreuth International Graduate School of African Studies, BIGSAS, invites outstanding African women scholars based on the continent to join an international community of early career researchers working in the field of African Studies. BIGSAS provides a centre for creative and innovative doctoral training based on the inter- and multi-disciplinary research environment of the Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence at the University of Bayreuth.

In 2026, BIGSAS is awarding two scholarships within the Graduate School Scholarship Programme (GSSP) provided by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). For these, BIGSAS will nominate candidates who have successfully passed the BIGSAS application procedure. The final selection on the scholarship will be made by the DAAD. The scholarship periods begin in October 2026 at the earliest (including a German language course starting in summer 2026, if applicable). The scholarships are awarded for a total scholarship period of up to four years.

Applicants must have a very good Master’s or equivalent degree. The last Master’s or equivalent degree must have been obtained within the last six years at the time of nomination by BIGSAS. Your application must be accompanied by two reports (letters of recommendation) from academic teachers in your past study programme(s) that know you reasonably well.

Applicants should not have been resident in Germany for more than fifteen months at the time of nomination. While applications may be submitted in German, English or French, do please note that the working language of BIGSAS is English.

The application deadline is 04 January 2026.
For more information on your application, please refer to https://www.bigsas.uni-bayreuth.de/en/application/index.html
and www.daad.de/go/en/stipa57034100

For more information see here