The Max Planck Institute for the History of Science (MPIWG) is an internationally respected research institute of the Max Planck Society (MPG) with currently two research departments, several research groups, and a graduate school. At the MPIWG, around 150 scholars from all over the world investigate the sciences past and present, working together on a collective, collaborative, and transdisciplinary basis. The MPIWG is renowned worldwide as a hub for reflection on the role of the sciences in politics and society. It is located in southwestern Berlin, close to the campus of the Free University Berlin and other research institutions.

Funded by the Volkswagen Foundation, the project China’s Science Silk Road and the New Geopolitics of Knowledge Production, led by Dr. Anna L. Ahlers, Dr. Han Cheng and Dr. Hang Zhou, is an international partnership between the Lise Meitner Research Group "China in the Global System of Science” at the MPIWG and Université Laval in Canada. It aims to conduct one of the first in-depth analyses of the Science Silk Road, exploring its components, impacts on scientific knowledge production in Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries, and implications for established science powers and international science alliances. Drawing on interdisciplinary perspectives from international relations, sociology of science, science and technology studies, anthropology and geography, the project will contribute to theoretical and policy debates at the intersection of science and geopolitics in the 21st century.

Your responsibilities:

• Supporting the development and maintenance of the project website.
• Assisting the launch of social media accounts, and supporting ongoing content creation and public engagement.
• Assisting the development and maintenance of a research database of existing documents (including policy, project and research publications in Chinese and English).
• Conduct text analysis on collected documents to support research objectives.
• General research tasks.

Your profile:

• Currently enrolled in a Master’s program at a university in Germany.
• Excellent language skills in English and Chinese, with the ability to collect and analyze documents in both languages. Basic communication skills in German are an asset.
• Strong research and analytical skills, with a keen eye for detail.
• Experience or strong interest in web content management and social media platforms.
• Familiarity with text analysis methods and database management. Knowledge of data visualization techniques will be advantageous.
• Strong organizational and time management skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines.
• A proactive, self-motivated, and collaborative approach to work.

• Remuneration at the student employee rates of the MPG support for junior scientists and scholars: currently €15.84 for Master’s students who can demonstrate completion of their Bachelor’s degree.
• Working hours to align with your studies.
• Work in an international setting with staff and guests from more than forty countries
• Close contact with all research and research-support units and the opportunity for direct, personal dialogue.
• Promotion of your professional interests and research interests.
• Use of the on-site reference library.
• Access to the wide range of training courses offered by the MPG’s Planck Academy.
• Occupational health management: weekly in-house yoga classes; regular information on courses offered by our partner health insurance companies.
• A student representative for equal opportunities.

The Max Planck Society is an equal opportunity employer that strives to foster an inclusive workplace. As an institute of the MPG, the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science supports a working community for all free from discrimination and harassment. We explicitly encourage applications from qualified individuals who belong to groups that are often underrepresented in the workplace due to age, disability, ethnicity, family status, gender, nationality, race, sex, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or religion.

Please follow the links to find out more about the MPIWG’s policies on gender equality and hiring practices for people with disabilities, as well as Germany’s anti-discrimination laws as outlined in the General Equal Treatment Act.

Please submit your application with complete documents, preferably without a photograph, through our application portal. Include cover letter, curriculum vitae, copies of qualifications (in a single PDF file) and job references (if available; in a single PDF file).

Please note that we can only accept electronic applications submitted through the portal.

For any questions about the position or the application process, please contact the research group’s coordinator Ms. Dieu Linh Bui Dao ( office-ahlers@mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de ).

Further information on the MPIWG can be found at https://www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/ .