Leibniz Institute for the History and Culture of Eastern Europe (GWZO), Leipzig

The Leibniz Institute for the History and Culture of Eastern Europe (GWZO) conducts comparative research into the history and culture of the region between the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea and the Adriatic from late antiquity to the present day. The institute has been based in the centre of Leipzig since 2010 and employs around 90 staff from Germany and abroad. Since 2025, the GWZO has also an office in the centre of Prague.

Starting in 2026, the GWZO will host the collaborative research project "Bloc-Building and (Dis-) Continuity: Cross-Border Connections and Transformations in Industrial Enterprises in East Central Europe and China, 1945-1960”, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) within the Weave Programme. This international project, conducted in partnership with institutions in Warsaw and Prague, focuses on industrial enterprises undergoing transformation towards socialism after the Second World War. It investigates continuity and change in the transnational entanglements of these enterprises – from trade networks to the exchange of technological know-how – and their role in the emergence of the socialist planned economy system. One of the research projects will be carried out in close cooperation with Professor Valeria Zanier (University of Bologna), who leads the China component of the overall project.

For this position, based in the GWZO Department "Entanglements and Globalisation”, we are looking to recruit:

A Doctoral Researcher (f/m/d)

starting on 01 January 2026

The position is classified in salary group 13 TV-L, 65% and is limited to three years in accordance with WissZeitVG.

Reference number: 25_05_A3

Your tasks:

• Conduct (archival) research on the global connections of the Chinese vehicle industry in the early years of the People’s Republic of China (mid-1940s to around 1960).
• Write a dissertation on this topic, supervised by, among others, the project leader Dr. Jan Zofka.
• Participate actively in the project group’s collaborative activities, including:
• Supporting the organisation of the project workshop.
• Contributing an article to the project’s collective special issue in a peer-reviewed journal.
• Engage with and contribute your work to the broader research community at the GWZO.

Your profile:

• A Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Modern China Studies, History, Global Studies, Political Science or a related discipline.
• Very good command of spoken and written Chinese and English.
• A strong interest in global historical approaches to economic and business history, as well as in the history of state socialism from a transnational perspective.

What we offer:

• An open, collaborative and team-oriented work atmosphere with flat hierarchies.
• An interdisciplinary and international working environment.
• Opportunities for developing your individual profile and further professional qualification through training programmes.
• Regular supervisory meetings and the opportunity to present your work and receive feedback from colleagues.
• Space for independent work and personal initiative
• The option to work remotely for up to 40% of weekly working hours.
• The possibility to purchase the Deutschlandticket as a subsidised job ticket.
• Participation in the company pension scheme (VBL).
• A workplace located in the heart of the city of Leipzig.

We actively support our doctoral students in the preparation of their dissertations through continuous supervision and training opportunities in research methods and academic publishing. GWZO doctoral candidates participate in the Integrated Research Training Group programme of the Graduate School Global and Area Studies (GSGAS) at Leipzig University, as well as the GWZO Research Colloquium.

Please send your application, including a CV, Master’s degree certificate and motivation letter, quoting the reference number 25_05_A3, by 05 November 2025 to: Professor Maren Röger (Director), Leibniz Institute for the History and Culture of Eastern Europe (GWZO), Reichsstr. 4-6, 04109 Leipzig, or via E-Mail to bewerbung(at)leibniz-gwzo.de. Please note: Submitting an application via email may involve risks for data protection; applicants bear full responsibility for any risks associated with an electronic submission.

Since July 2021, our institute has held the TOTAL E-QUALITY Award for its commitment to equal opportunities. The GWZO is dedicated to promoting professional equality between men and women and therefore strongly encourages applications by women. Applications from individuals with severe disabilities are expressly encouraged and will be given preferential consideration in cases of equal qualification.

For inquiries regarding the application process or job advert, please contact Dr. Jan Zofka (jan.zofka@leibniz-gwzo.de).

Further information about the GWZO can be found on our website www.leibniz-gwzo.de

Information on data protection

Your personal data contained in the application documents or obtained during the interview will be processed exclusively for the purpose of the selection procedure for this position. The legal basis for the data processing is § 11 Abs. 1 Sächsisches Datenschutzdurchführungsgesetz i. V. m. EU-Datenschutz-Grundverordnung (DS-GVO). The person responsible for the application process is the addressee of the application named at the top of this advertisement. As part of the application process, your personal data will be shared within the institute and within the scope of their organisational or legal responsibilities, with the following members of staff:

• members of the selection committee,
• the human resources department,
• the equal opportunities officers,
• the inclusion officer and
• the works council.

Your personal data will be deleted no later than six months after the end of the selection process. According to the GDPR, you have the following rights vis-à-vis the addressee of the application, provided that the corresponding legal requirements are met: Right of access (Art. 15 DS-GVO), right to rectification of inaccurate personal data (Art. 16 DS-GVO); right to erasure (Art. 17 DS-GVO), right to restriction of processing (Art. 18 DS-GVO) and right to object to processing (Art. 21 DS-GVO). If you have any questions, please contact the GWZO data protection officers. Furthermore, there is a right of appeal. The supervisory authority responsible for the GWZO is the person commissioned by the Saxon State Parliament for data protection.