Deadline: 1st Mar 2026
The Chair for Sinology with a focus on the Intellectual and Cultural History of China — Institute for Near Eastern and East Asian Languages and Civilizations — at FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg (Germany) invites applications for a position of a Postdoctoral Researcher (f/m/d) with an interest in the global history of the mathematical sciences in China during the Qing dynasty.
The positions are associated with the interdisciplinary project “The Language of Algorithmic Mathematics” funded by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. Although this project has a digital humanities component, we also welcome research that focuses on small corpora of texts or a specific mathematical domain. Together with the other project members the applicant will conduct research on the history of algorithmic mathematics in China in a global/transregional perspective and contribute to the following activities:
- collaboration in preparing applications for third-party funding
- contribute critical editions to a multilingual database of mathematical texts.
The successful candidate is expected to have the following qualifications:
- a PhD in Chinese studies, mathematical sciences or computational linguistics,
- a thorough understanding of mathematical concepts,
- preferably research experience in China, Hong Kong and/or Taiwan,
- experience in interdisciplinary and international research contexts,
- excellent knowledge of working languages English and Chinese.
The positions are to be filled at latest by September 1st, 2026. Yearly budget will be provided to support archival research and international conference participation.
FAU is a family-friendly employer and intends to increase the number of women in research and teaching positions and, therefore, strongly encourages female researchers to apply. In its pursuit of academic excellence, FAU is committed to equality of opportunity and to a proactive and inclusive approach, which supports and encourages all under-represented groups, promotes an inclusive culture and values diversity.
Please apply by submitting a cover letter of application, a CV, a project description (ca. 1000 words), max. three publications, and contact information (incl. email addresses) for two academic references by March 1st, 2026 to Prof. Dr. Andrea Bréard andrea.breard@fau.de. Inquiries concerning the position may be directed to the project leader beforehand.
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Andrea Bréard 白安雅 教授
Chair of Sinology with a focus on the Intellectual and Cultural History of China (Alexander von Humboldt-
Professor)
Department of Classical World and Asian Cultures
Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
Artilleriestraße 70
D-91052 Erlangen
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