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.

Department "Artifacts, Action, Knowledge” led by Prof. Dr. Dagmar Schäfer, seeks to appoint a

Student Assistant with a focus on Machine Learning (m/f/d) - up to 19 hours per week, starting as soon as possible.

Department "Artifacts, Action, Knowledge” studies the history of knowledge and action considering the changing role of artifacts: texts, objects, and spaces. Our research collectively examines the processes and structures by which people grappled with the materiality of existence. Through the analysis of everyday actions, we interrogate the boundaries and intersections between the inner workings of objects and all domains of life. For more detailed information, please visit

Your responsibilities

• Assist the "Common Knowledge and Its Sources in the Sinosphere, 14^th to 20^th Centuries” Working Group (please read further on working group page) to train machine learning models to identify and analyze content components from primary sources of historical China and Japan
• Collect, annotate, and prepare datasets for training
• Survey related machine learning technologies and tools to support the training and fine-tuning of object detection and text generation models for images (e.g., YOLO, CLIP)
• Conduct model evaluation and assist in improving performance
• Develop necessary programming codes to connect the above-mentioned technologies and create simple user interfaces

Your profile

• Currently enrolled in a Bachelor’s program (in at least your second semester) or a Master’s program (first or second semester) at a university in Germany
• Possess an academic background in computer science, data science, digital humanities, or related disciplines
• Basic knowledge in deep learning concepts (CNNs, transformers) and machine learning models, pipelines, and tools and related programming languages
• Coding and software development experience, such as Python or Javascript
• Command of reading and typing traditional Chinese is a must. Command of those for Japanese is a plus.
• Good communication skills in English
• The ability to work both independently and in a team, good communication skills
• An interest in working in an international research environment

We offer

• remuneration at the student employee rates of the MPG support for junior scientists and scholars: currently € 15.18 per hour for Bachelor’s students and €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 .

Your application

Please submit your application with complete documents, preferably without a photograph, through our application portal. Include cover letter, curriculum vitae (including links to your portfolio), copies of qualifications, and employment references (in a single PDF file). Application portal

Applications must be received by March 31, 2026 (23:59 CET).

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 department’s research officer, Dr. Rand El Zein.

Further information on the MPIWG can be found at our website.