Postdoctoral Researcher in Chinese Buddhist Philosophy (EXPIRED)

The Institute for the Cultural and Intellectual History of Asia (IKGA) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW), Austria’s leading non-university research and science institution, is offering a

Postdoctoral Researcher in Chinese Buddhist Philosophy (f/m/x)

(part-time, 36h per week)

in the European Research Council project “The Ethics of Empty Beliefs: Chinese Buddhist Philosophy in the ‘Period of Disunity’” (CHINBUDDHPHIL) (ERC-2022-StG-101077136). The successful candidate will contribute to the project, principally by conducting research on the philosophy of the Sanlun 三論 school of Chinese Buddhism in relation to other schools of Chinese Buddhism.

Your profile:

• PhD degree in the field of Buddhist studies, Chinese studies, or a related field (by the start date)
• Excellent knowledge of Classical (and ideally Modern) Chinese
• Very good knowledge of written and spoken English
• Demonstrated expertise in Chinese Buddhist thought during the period under study
• Ideally, familiarity with other relevant research languages (e.g., Sanskrit, Pali, Tibetan, Japanese, Korean)

Your tasks:

• Conduct research as part of a sub-project concerned with the transmission and transformation of Sanlun Buddhist ideas within later Chinese Buddhist texts and schools
• Take a lead role in organizing an international workshop on the sub-project topic
• Publish research results in leading scholarly venues
• Present research results at workshops and international conferences
• Support the principal investigator as needed in project implementation

Our offer:                                                                                          

• A part-time position at 90% (starting August 01st, 2024 or soon thereafter), initially for one year and extended for an additional two years (three years in total) subject to positive performance review
• An annual gross salary of € 54.833,94 according to the collective agreement of the Austrian Academy of Sciences
• Attractive working conditions at the IKGA, a well-established and dynamic research institution, as part of the international team of the CHINBUDDHPHIL project

The successful applicant is expected to take up residence in Vienna, a city consistently rated as having a particularly high quality of life. Questions regarding the position can be addressed to the principal investigator, Rafal K. Stepien ([email protected]).

Please send your application materials as a single PDF document to the project manager, Hermine Huber ([email protected]), indicating the Job ID IKGA125PD223 in the heading. Applications should include a cover letter explaining your research interests and motivation for applying, a full CV including list of publications (if applicable) and contact details of three referees, a research proposal (ca. 2–3 pages), and a copy of degrees and transcripts. Two writing samples should also be included, either as separate PDFs or via download link. The call is open until the position is filled; applications received before December 01st 2023 will be assured full consideration, but applications received thereafter will also be considered (as long as the position has not yet been filled).

The Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW) pursues a non-discriminatory employment policy and values equal opportunities, as well as diversity. Individuals from underrepresented groups are particularly encouraged to apply.