Zentralinstitut Osteuropa-Institut -2 Positions Research assistant (praedoc) with 75%part-time-job limited to 30.06.2029 (end of project) salary grade (Entgeltgruppe) 13 TV-L FU reference code: OEI_Politik_WiMi_2025 Bewerbungsende: 16.06.2025

Research and teaching of the Chair of Politics of the Institute for East European Studies of the Freie Universität Berlin covers the entire set of topics related to political processes in Eastern Europe and in the post-Soviet Eurasia (with a particular focus on Russia). The main focus of the research is in the comparative authoritarianism studies: how do authoritarian regimes in the post-Communist world function? What is the difference between these regimes and autocracies in other regions? Which factors lead to consolidation of authoritarian regimes, to their collapse and democratization? Chair’s research deals with both emergence and collapse of authoritarian regimes as well as their dynamics and transformation.

Job description:
The project focuses on studying long-term mechanisms of survival of liberal values in a repressive authoritarian setting. For this purpose, it focuses on studying the persistence of urban educated groups of the pre-revolutionary era under the Communist rule. We plan to study whether these groups were able to keep their liberal values and attitudes over a prolonged period of time and which mechanisms contributed to it. The project will be implemented jointly with Tomila Lankina (LSE) within the framework of an Einstein Visiting Fellowship.

A successful applicant is expected to take over the following tasks
- Analysis of the current state of the art research and assistance by the development of a conceptual framework for the analysis.
- Implementation of empirical analysis, including fieldwork, on the topic of the project.
- Analysis of datasets collected within the framework of the project using statistical methods.
- Contribution to academic publications based on project’s results.
- Administrative support of the project, its events and activities.

The employment offers the opportunity for acquiring a PhD degree under supervision of Alexander Libman and Tomila Lankina at the FU Berlin.

Requirements:
-completed academic university education in a relevant field (social sciences, political science, economics etc.)

Desirable:

- good knowledge of quantitative tools of empirical social science research.

- experience in academic work;
- knolwegde of university structures;
- experience in organizational work;
- ability to work independently while solving conceptual tasks and high innovation capacity;

- good knowledge of German
- excellent knowledge of English;
- knowledge of Russian or Ukrainian would be of asset;
- familiarity with historical/ archival materials on Imperial and soviet Russia would be an asset.

Please direct your questions to Prof. Dr. Alexander Libman alexander.libman@fu-berlin.de or Prof. Dr. Tomila Lankina T.Lankina@lse.ac.uk .

Applications should be sent by e-mail, together with significant documents, indicating the reference code, in PDF format (preferably as one document) to Prof. Dr. Alexander Libman: politik@oei.fu-berlin.de or postal to

Freie Universität Berlin

Zentralinstitut Osteuropa-Institut

Herrn Prof. Dr. Alexander Libman

Garystr. 55

14195 Berlin (Dahlem)

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