Doctoral Researcher in Digital Environmental History of Africa

About us

The University of Luxembourg is an international research university with a distinctly multilingual and interdisciplinary character.

The Luxembourg Centre for Contemporary and Digital History (C²DH) at the University of Luxembourg is an interdisciplinary research centre committed to high-quality research and public dissemination in the field of contemporary history with a particular focus on digital methods and tools. The C²DH's ambition is to venture off the beaten track and find new ways of doing, teaching and presenting contemporary history of Luxembourg and the history of Europe in the 20th and 21st centuries. It serves as a catalyst for innovative and creative scholarship and new forms of public dissemination.

Your role

• Develop and complete a PhD thesis on natural environment-economy-society relationships mid-19th Century to Early 20th Century Africa
• Contribute to the research activities of the C²DH
• Participate in seminars, workshops, and scientific events
• Contribute to scholarly publications and knowledge dissemination
• Contribute to teaching and student supervision activities, in line with the University's doctoral training framework, e.g. guest lectures, tutorials, or support in courses related to digital history or economic history

The position explicitly welcomes candidates engaging with one or more of the following complementary perspectives, with particular interest in innovative and experimentally oriented approaches:

• Natural environment-economy-society relationships
• AI-assisted methods for historical research, including knowledge graphs, large language models, and computational data extraction
• Quantitative and spatial analysis of historical sources
• Travel accounts as historical source for environmental questions

Your profile

• Master's degree in History, Environmental History, Digital Humanities, or a related field
• Demonstrated work with computational approaches
• Strong interest in the economic and environmental history of Africa
• Strong interest in AI methods
• Willingness and ability to work in an interdisciplinary research environment at the intersection of history, data science, and digital humanities
• Familiarity with AI methods, large language models, or knowledge graphs, or a strong willingness to engage with these methods in a research context
• Experience with quantitative and spatial methods
• Prior engagement with African history, or historical political economy, or environmental history
• Experience with structured data environments or digital humanities infrastructure

Language Requirements:

Applicants must demonstrate at least B2-level proficiency in the language of their thesis. For details and accepted certificates, please visit the Application for admission - Doctoral Candidates.

We offer

• A modern, dynamic university with a personal and inclusive atmosphere. Multilingual and international character. Staff coming from more than 90 countries. Member of The Guild of European Research Intensive Universities
• An exceptional research environment, supported by skilled staff and high-quality equipment. Strong links to professional sectors and the Luxembourg labour market. A unique urban campus with excellent infrastructure
• A partner for society and industry. Cooperation with European institutions, innovative companies, the Financial Centre and a wide range of non-academic partners including ministries, local governments, associations, and NGOs

How to apply

Applications should include:

• Curriculum Vitae
• Cover letter presenting your motivation for this doctoral thesis topic, and explaining how your qualifications and aspirations align with its academic focus
• Transcript of all modules and results from university-level courses taken

Early application is highly encouraged, as the applications will be processed upon reception. Please apply ONLINE formally through the HR system. Applications by Email will not be considered.

All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply. In line with our values, the University of Luxembourg promotes an inclusive culture. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and are dedicated to upholding equality and respect for our employees and students.

General information:

• Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract 36 Month
• Work Hours: Full Time 40.0 Hours per Week
• Location: Belval Campus
• Internal Title: Doctoral Researcher
• Job Reference: UOL08119

The yearly gross salary for every Doctoral researcher at the UL is EUR 41976 (full time).