Distinguished Fellowships (f/m/x)

reference number MWK_01/2026

Re-founded in 1994 as a reform university, the University of Erfurt considers itself as a research-oriented university that is highly committed to international cooperation as well as innovation in teaching and learning, with a special focus on teacher-training programs. With its strong profile in the humanities, cultural studies as well as social sciences and education, it is a cosmopolitan place for academic debate on key social and cultural challenges.

The Max Weber Centre for Advanced Cultural and Social Studies (MWK) combines the functions of an Institute for Advanced Study where fellows work on interdisciplinary research projects for a limited period of time, and a permanent Research Training Group offering young academics a structured doctoral or postdoctoral phase. The Centre pursues a Weberian research programme that follows an interdisciplinary and comparative approach to the cultural and social sciences which allows for great historical depth, encourages the pursue of normative questions and uses social-science, historical and hermeneutic methods.

The Max Weber Centre of the University of Erfurt (Max-Weber-Kolleg) announces Fellowships for the academic year 2027/28:

Distinguished Fellowships (f/m/x)
Art of contract and financial remuneration depend of the personal situation.

Area of Responsibility

• excellent interdisciplinary research within the framework of our Weberian research programme "Comparative Cultural Analysis of Weltbeziehungen" (see website: https://www.uni-erfurt.de/en/max-weber-kolleg/forschung/webersches-forschungsprogramm/weberian-research-programm) from the following or related disciplines: sociology, religious studies, history, economics, law, philosophy and theology
• interdisciplinary cooperation with scholars from different regions and cultures as well as generations

What we expect

• a completed university degree (at the MA level)
• a qualified doctorate and, if possible, additional academic achievements, usually demonstrated by a postdoctoral qualification (habilitation) or within the framework of a junior professorship
• excellent research record
• experience with and interest in interdisciplinary research
• scientific curiosity and willingness to exchange ideas
• German language skills: if possible, basic knowledge (level at least comparable to A1) in oral language use[1]
• English language skills: excellent knowledge (level at least comparable to C1) in oral and written language use 1

What we offer

• We promote the compatibility of career and family/private life, in particular through flexible working hours, teleworking/mobile working, sabbaticals, etc.
• As part of the company health management system, there are a number of health and prevention services available.
• The University of Erfurt sees itself as an open-minded employer that values diversity. It is committed to diversity and gender equality and welcomes applications that contribute to this.
• The University of Erfurt has successfully passed the "shaping diversity" audit, has been audited as a "family-friendly university" and regularly participates successfully in the female professor programme of the federal and state governments. One of the university's strategic goals is increasing the proportion of women in re-search and teaching.
• Severely disabled persons and those with equal status are given preference in the case of equal suitability, professional performance, and ability.

Further information can be found on our website!

Comments/Remarks
The German version of this job advertisement alone shall be legally binding.

Fellowships can be awarded for 3 to 10 months; they start normally on first of October 2027 or first of April 2028 until end of July 2028.

The specific financial agreement aims to enable the invited Fellows to stay at the Max-Weber-Kolleg based on the principle of “no gain, no loss”. The fellowship program manager will work with successful candidates to determine the exact terms of their appointments. As a rule, university professors are given a paid leave of absence from their home institution for the period of their activity at the Max-Weber-Kolleg. If necessary, the Max-Weber-Kolleg reimburses the Fellow’s home university for the costs of a substitute – up to the amount of the substitute’s salary or up to the maximum of 7.500 EUR/month incl. taxes, whichever is lower.

Fellows will be provided with housing, if possible, in the International Guest House of the University of Erfurt. Costs related to the stay in Erfurt (travel costs) will be reimbursed.

Fellows will be selected in a multi-level procedure:

1.         Eligibility check by directors of MWK,
2.         Reviews by experts,
3.         Interviews with the selection committee
4.         Shortlist by selection committee
5.         Pre-selection/advice by advisory board of MWK
6.         Decision by Kollegrat (council) of MWK

The Fellows will find a supportive research and work environment at the MWK. The staff helps concerning administrative issues (mobility, proofreading, organizational matters etc.), student research assistants help concerning academic issues (bibliography, editing, copying, organization of workshops etc.).

If you have a foreign university degree, it is necessary that you apply for a certificate application at the Central Office for Foreign Education (Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen, ZAB). We recommend that you attach the corresponding certificate to your application documents, but you can also provide this certificate at a later stage of the process. Please note that this is a chargeable service provided by the ZAB.

Part-time employment is possible in principle. The extent to which a part-time request can be met, particularly with regard to the location and scope of the part-time work, must be examined on a case-by-case basis.

Severely disabled persons and those with equal status are advised that even in the case of a repeated application or previous employment at the University of Erfurt, explicit reference must be made to the severe disability or equal status in the application, as this information is not automatically taken into account in the present procedure for data protection and organizational reasons.

The University of Erfurt does not refund any costs incurred in the application process.

Application and Deadline
Please send your complete application (curriculum vitae, list of publications, files of either two peer-reviewed journal articles or your own monograph, letter of motivation including the name of a member or alumnus of the Max-Weber-Kolleg who could make a recommendation, exposé of a research project (up to 3000 words) with work plan and overview of the most important project-specific publications) exclusively online via the application management system of the University Erfurt by 31 August 2026.

For questions regarding content, please contact apl. Prof. Dr. Bettina Hollstein: bettina.hollstein@uni-erfurt.de.

We look forward to receiving your application!

[1] https://europass.europa.eu/system/files/2020-05/CEFR%20self-assessment%20grid%20DE.pdf