"Postdoctoral Research Fellow in African Studies"

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in African Studies

Location: Oxford School of Global and Area Studies, 12 Bevington Road, Oxford OX2 6LH

African Studies Centre, Oxford School of Global and Area Studies
Grade 7: £39,424 – £47,779 per annum
Full time (37.5 hours per week)
Two-year fixed-term contract
Start date: 1 October 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter

The African Studies Centre (ASC) at the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies (OSGA) is seeking to appoint a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in African Studies for a two-year fixed-term position. This fellowship offers an outstanding opportunity for an early-career scholar to consolidate and launch their postdoctoral career within one of the world’s leading centres for African Studies. Working under the supervision of Professor Rita Abrahamsen (Chair of African Studies), the successful candidate will develop and pursue an ambitious and original programme of research within the broad thematic of “Africa and the World”, or Africa in the contemporary global order.

We are particularly interested in candidates whose research demonstrates a strong and clearly articulated agenda that situates Africa within wider global, comparative, and transnational processes. Applicants from across the social sciences and humanities are welcome.

The Role

The Postdoctoral Research Fellow will pursue an independent and ambitious programme of advanced research within African Studies, focused on the thematic of Africa and the World or Africa in the contemporary global order. The successful candidate will develop a clearly defined and innovative research agenda that situates Africa within broader global, comparative, and transnational processes, contributing substantively to intellectual debates within and beyond the field.

The Fellow will prepare research publications and work towards publishing high-quality outputs in leading peer-reviewed journals and academic presses. They will present their research at academic conferences and University seminars, contributing to the visibility and scholarly profile of the African Studies Centre. In addition, the postholder will play a leading role in shaping and advancing the research thematic of “Africa and the World” at Oxford, helping to strengthen the Centre’s position as a hub for cutting-edge scholarship on Africa in global perspective.

The role also involves organising research seminars and contributing to the development of conferences and collaborative academic initiatives. The postholder will contribute to teaching within African Studies by offering an option course aligned with their expertise and will supervise master’s dissertations on the MSc in African Studies. More broadly, the Fellow will participate actively in the intellectual life of the African Studies Centre and the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies, fostering a collaborative, respectful, and inclusive academic environment.

What we offer

Working at the University of Oxford offers several exclusive benefits, such as:

• 38 days of annual leave (inclusive of public holidays) to support your wellbeing, with the option to purchase up to 10 extra days and additional leave after long service.
• One of the most generous family leave schemes in UK higher education, offering up to 26 weeks of full-pay maternity and adoption leave, plus 12 weeks of full-pay paternity/partner leave.
• An excellent contributory pension scheme.
• Affordable and sustainable commuting options, including a cycle loan scheme, discounted bus travel, and season ticket loans.
• Access to a vibrant community through our social, cultural, and sports clubs.

About You:

The successful candidate will hold, or be close to completion of, a relevant doctorate by the time of the start of employment, and no earlier than three years before 1st January 2026. Applicants from all academic fields will be considered. They will be able to demonstrate excellent communication skills, including writing for publication, presenting research papers at academic seminars and conferences and publishing high-quality research in peer-reviewed international journals and presses. Further essential criteria for the role include a commitment to teaching and supervising postgraduate students.

We welcome applications from candidates with previous experience in:
• delivering teaching and thesis supervision
• independently leading a research programme and
• working collaboratively with researchers.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse academic environment. Applications are particularly welcome from women and Black and minority ethnic candidates, who are under-represented in academic posts in Oxford.

If, for any reason, a candidate has taken a career break or has had an atypical career and wishes to disclose this in their application, the selection committee will take this into account, recognising that the quantity of your experience may be reduced as a result.

The School holds a Bronze Athena Swan Award to recognise the advancement of gender equality, representation and progression.

How to Apply:

Applications are to be submitted via Oxford University’s website: please click on the “Apply Now” button and follow the application instructions. You will be asked to upload a CV, a supporting statement explaining how you meet each of the selection criteria for the post as well as a short statement of your proposed research project. For further details of your application, including the job description and selection criteria, please refer to the attached job description below. We request that candidates do not submit any published work at this stage.

For initial queries about the post, visas and application process please contact the HR Office at recruitment@area.ox.ac.uk. Any queries about the post that are non-administrative should be addressed to Professor Rita Abrahamsen at rita.abrahamsen@africa.ox.ac.uk.

All enquiries will be treated in strict confidence; they will not form part of the selection decision. The successful candidates will be offered visa application support, if required, to allow them to apply to appropriate sponsorship schemes from the UK or from overseas.

If you, as an applicant, require reasonable adjustments to be made in the interview process, please do reach out and discuss this with our HR team at recruitment@area.ox.ac.uk. We will do our best to facilitate and accommodate reasonable adjustments.

The closing date for applications is 12.00 noon (UK time) on Monday 20th April 2026.
Interviews are to be held online on Thursday 14th May 2026.