"Predoctoral University Assistant in Cultural and Intellectual History of Premodern South Asia"

The Department of South Asian, Tibetan and Buddhist Studies ranks among the largest university centres for the philological-cultural study of South Asia and Tibet in the German-speaking world and is home to several third-party funded research projects. Through cooperation with numerous academic institutions worldwide, the Department is well connected with the international scholarly community. The Department is also part of the Austrian Science Fund Cluster of Excellence "EurAsian Transformations" and hosts both the Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Documentation of Inner and South Asian Cultural History (CIRDIS) and the Himalaya Archive Vienna (HAV).

As a predoctoral university assistant, you will support the Professor of Cultural and Intellectual History of Premodern South Asia, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Nina Mirnig, in the areas of research, administration, and teaching. You will assist the team in the field of Indology with a focus on the premodern period, particularly in the cultural, religious, and intellectual history of South Asia.

Your tasks include developing and carrying out an independent doctoral research project within the subject area, situated in the field of premodern South Asian studies. The research should engage with topics such as the religious history, rituals and religious doctrines of early Hindu traditions (e.g., Brahmanism, Śaivism, Vaiṣṇavism, Tantric traditions), Sanskrit literature, epigraphy, or cultural and political history of premodern South Asia (with a focus on premodern Nepal welcome). A methodological approach grounded in philological-historical and cultural studies is expected.

You will actively participate in research, teaching, and administration, including:

• Participation in research projects within the department
• Support of and contribution to publication and presentation activities
• Completion of a dissertation agreement within 12 months
• Participation in and independent teaching of courses
• Supervision and support of students
• Participation in the organisation of meetings, conferences, and symposia
• Participation in administrative tasks related to the institute, teaching, and research

Your profile requires:

• Completed university degree (Diploma, Mag.phil., MA, MPhil, or equivalent) in the relevant subject area
• Excellent knowledge of Sanskrit; good familiarity with the literature of premodern South Asia, particularly primary sources relevant to religious history and/or epigraphy. Familiarity with an additional premodern Indian language is an asset.
• Interest in acquiring competence in relevant aspects of Digital Humanities
• Excellent command of English, both spoken and written
• Knowledge of German or willingness to acquire it
• Ability to work in a team, strong organizational skills, reliability, and attention to detail
• Good general computer skills and familiarity with IT applications relevant to text-based research
• Interest in the history and development of text-critical and/or historical methodologies
• Willingness to engage in interdisciplinary research
• Prior experience in academic project work is an advantage

What we offer:

• Work-life balance with flexible working hours and partial remote work
• Inspiring working atmosphere in an international academic team
• Good public transport connections
• Internal further training and coaching opportunities
• Fair salary: Basic salary of EUR 3,714.80 on a full-time basis, increasing with professional experience
• Contract period: 4 years, initially limited to 1.5 years with automatic extension if not terminated
• Equal opportunities for all

Please apply with: A cover letter/motivation letter (max. 2 pages), a short summary of the proposed doctoral project (max. 2 pages), one chapter of the Master’s thesis or an academic publication, an academic CV, if applicable, a list of publications, copies of degree certificates, and two letters of recommendation sent directly to nina.mirnig@univie.ac.at.

Applications can be submitted in German or English via the job portal.

The University of Vienna has an anti-discriminatory employment policy and emphasizes equal opportunities, the advancement of women, and diversity.