At the Austrian Academy of Sciences’ (ÖAW) Institute for Social Anthropology (ISA), a medium term multilateral collaboration project with the Indian Ocean World (IOW) Center at McGill University (Montreal, Canada) is in operation since 2018. As collaborating partners in this project, the undersigned hereby invite engaged and qualified candidates to apply for responsible supervision of suitable PhD projects in the general field of an historical anthropology of the Indian Ocean World. The PhD project preferably should be carried out at the University of Vienna, but alternatives are negotiable if necessary. If carried out and completed at the University of Vienna, PhD projects eligible for the present call have to comply with all of the University of Vienna’s relevant procedural requirements.
Eligible PhD project proposals are expected to combine the simultaneous consideration of these three dimensions (i.e. topical, regional, temporal):
In its topical dimension, the PhD project proposal suitable for this call is expected to focus on an examination of selected health impacts at the intersection of natural / environmental crisis and man-made disasters (including disease, epidemics, famine, drought, storms, flooding, but also shipwrecks…); investigating the source-based description of origins, diffusion and forms of impact of such health crises.
In its regional dimension, the PhD project proposal suitable for this call is expected to focus on one or more among the island and littoral societies of the Arabian and Laccadive Seas – esp. Yemen, Oman, Lakshadweep Islands, Maldives, Sri Lanka (i.e. north western and central IOW).
In its temporal dimension, the PhD project proposal relevant for this call is expected to either focus on aspects of “medieval” pre-colonial history (i.e. 10th-15th century CE), or alternatively, aspects of 19th/early 20th century colonial history.
Qualified candidates are expected to display fluency in reading and interpreting locally relevant sources in at least one regionally common language other than English. The PhD thesis in question will have to be submitted in standard academic English. In addition, anthropology’s main methodological focus on subjective experiences, sense making (including risk perception and enacting responses and coping with risk and crises) have to be self-evident ingredients to an eligible PhD proposal, with the aim of contributing case studies and exemplary micro-data as an independent research result to this wider multilateral collaboration project. Qualified candidates are not necessarily expected to have a prior degree in socio-cultural anthropology, but their commitment for obtaining a PhD degree in this field is indispensable.
This invitation includes the offer for
- responsible and qualified advisory and supervision activity,
- a fully equipped work place at the ÖAW’s ISA including access to its libraries,
- intellectual exchange within a vibrant academic ÖAW institution and
- within a related international academic research endeavor.
- While this offer does not include any existing budget for funding, it does encompass specific and experienced advice for future funding where necessary.
Qualified candidates are invited to submit a motivation letter (1 page), their CV (2 pages max.) and their PhD project proposal (5 pages) to andre.gingrich(at)oeaw.ac.at and eva-maria.knoll(at)oeaw.ac.at until 15 December 2020 (preferably by e-mail with attachments).
O. Univ. Prof. i. R. Dr. Andre Gingrich Dr. Eva-Maria Knoll
Full Member, ÖAW Senior Staff Member, ISA at the ÖAW