12 pre-doctoral research fellows (f/m/d)

Heidelberg University is a comprehensive university with a strong focus on research and international standards. With around 31,300 students and 8,400 employees, including numerous top researchers, it is a globally respected institution that also has outstanding economic significance for the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region.

At the Heidelberg Center for Transcultural Studies (HCTS) of Heidelberg University and at the Heidelberg University of Jewish Studies (depending on PhD supervision), the following positions (65%) for up to 3+1 years are to be filled by 1 April 2026:

12 pre-doctoral research fellows (f/m/d)

The place of employment is Heidelberg, in the interdisciplinary Research Training Group (RTG) 2840 entitled “Ambivalent Enmity: Dynamics of Antagonism in Europe, Asia and the Middle East” – a collaboration between Heidelberg University and Heidelberg University of Jewish Studies (HfjS).

The Heidelberg University of Jewish Studies is a lively place of dialog: Tradition and modernity, science and religion, people of all backgrounds and convictions come together here. As one of the leading centers of Jewish Studies in Germany, it combines academic excellence with social openness and builds bridges between past and future, between community and academia.

Funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), the RTG aims to reveal enmity as a processual, relational, and deeply ambivalent category. It pursues this agenda in three Research Fields that will trace the ambivalences of enmity through studies dedicated to: (1) knowledge production (Research Field “Knowing the Enemy”), (2) representation (Research Field “Staging Enmity")and (3) physical encounters (Research Field “Enemy Contact”). Our research regions include Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

The RTG Ambivalent Enmity targets doctoral candidates with a background in the following disciplines: Israel Studies/Jewish Studies, Political Science, Chinese Studies, Clinical Psychology, Romance Studies/Linguistics, Modern South Asian Languages and Literatures, Global Art History, Middle Eastern Studies, Eastern European History, Global History and Medieval History. We strongly encourage international junior scholars to apply!

Your tasks:

• Pursue your own doctoral project to obtain a Ph.D
• Actively engage in various formats of scholarly exchange offered by the RTG
• Co-organize workshops and other internal and external events

Your profile:

• An excellent Master’s degree or equivalent in one of the above-mentioned disciplines
• An innovative and feasible doctoral project within one of the three research fields of the RTG Ambivalent Enmity
• An interest in and readiness to engage in transdisciplinary cooperation
• Very good English language skills, (C1/CEFR or above) and language of the region of study
• A high personal motivation for scholarly work and research in your discipline

We offer:

• A stimulating interdisciplinary and international environment at Germany’s oldest university
• Collaborative networks of European and international scholars;
• Individualized mentoring
• A qualification program tailored to academic as well as professional career paths.

The positions are limited up to 3+1 years, starting 1 April 2026; salaries are predicated on the German public sector remuneration system (TV-L 13, 25,675 h/week, i. e. 65%).

Your documents:

• A letter of motivation (max. 2 pages)
• An academic CV
• An outline which identifies the topic, research area, research question, theoretical approaches and methodology of your proposed research project (max. 3 pages)
• A writing sample from your master’s thesis or equivalent, which demonstrates familiarity with the standards of academic work (max. 10 pages)
• Copies of degree certificates and diplomas
• Proof of your language skills

Please submit all documents in one collated PDF file to Silke Engelhardt by email (ambivalent-enmity@hcts.uni-heidelberg.de ). The application deadline is 30 September 2025.

Based on the applications received, the RTG board will select qualified applicants with an interesting profile and invite them to an interview in October 2025.

For details about the research design, curriculum and qualification program of the RTG Ambivalent Enmity, please visit www.ambivalentenmity.uni-heidelberg.de

Further job advertisements for the HfJS Heidelberg can be found at ww.hfjs.eu/en/university/organization/job-advertisements.html

Heidelberg University stands for equal opportunities and diversity. Qualified female candidates are especially invited to apply. Persons with severe disabilities will be given preference if they are equally qualified. Information on job advertisements and the collection of personal data is available at www.uni-heidelberg.de/en/job-market .