"Postdoctoral Fellow (East Asian History)"

Job Description

The Department of Chinese Studies at the National University of Singapore (NUS) is inviting applications for a two-year postdoctoral fellowship. The postdoctoral fellow will work with Principal Investigator, Dr. Huang Yanjie 黃彥傑 (Presidential Young Professor, Chinese Studies, NUS), for the research project, “Developmental Lessons: Inter-Asian Exchanges and China’s Economic Reform”, funded by Singapore Ministry of Education’s Social Sciences and Humanities Research Fellowship (click for more details). The postdoctoral fellow will be responsible for collecting, collating, and analyzing archival and oral sources from China, Korea, and Japan, as well as organizing academic events. The research fellow will be free to pursue their own research project(s) upon completing their assigned research tasks.

The fellowship period is tentatively from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2028, and the fellow is expected to reside in Singapore for the duration of the fellowship. The fellowship will provide a competitive monthly stipend, subsidized university medical benefits, a travel subsidy, and a housing allowance. (Travel subsidy and housing allowance only applies for non-Singaporeans.) In addition, the fellow will be able to contribute to journals, conferences, and edited volumes as part of the project. The fellowship will be subject to all rules and regulations of NUS and the Singapore government.

Applicants should send to fasbox64@nus.edu.sg, by email attachment, a dossier comprising:

1. Cover letter that briefly states your background, a summary of your research, and your potential contributions to the project.
2. CV with a complete list of publications (including theses/dissertations).
3. Research proposal for your own research project(s) during the fellowship.
4. Dissertation/Thesis abstract and table of contents, as well as two writing samples (academic paper or dissertation chapter).
5. Evidence of native or near-native proficiency in Mandarin, Japanese and/or Korean, such as graduate diplomas and transcripts from universities in China (including HK, Macao, and Taiwan), Japan, and Korea, or testimonies for the highest levels from major tests such as HSK5 , JLPT1, TOPIK6, where appropriate.
6. Three letters of reference and one additional letter from the PhD supervisor (total of four letters, to be sent directly by each referee to the above email address)

All application materials must be in English. Please note that application documents will not be returned. All inquiries should be directed to the above email address.

The review of applications will commence in mid-February and continue until the position is filled. We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

Qualifications

Candidates are required to have been awarded a doctoral degree by one month prior to the start of the fellowship. Candidates must provide confirmation of successful completion of their terminal doctoral degree, in the form of a diploma or a certificate of completion from the degree-granting institution’s Registrar.

We welcome applications from junior scholars who have research interests in modern East Asian economy and society, with a specialization in any of the following fields: (1) Japan after 1945; (2) Modern Korean History; (3) The Cold War or contemporary international politics in the Asia-Pacific, with a focus on economy. In addition to working proficiency in English and Mandarin, a demonstrated spoken, reading, and written proficiency in Korean or Japanese is required for this position, as the candidate will be required to work on research in the above languages.

More Information

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