2 scholarships for PhD candidates at the University of Lodz and the German Historical Institute Warsaw as part of the joint project “Infrastructures of Collective Memory. Actants of Globalization and Their Impact on Polish and German Memory Culture”, funded by the Polish-German Research Foundation.
About the project:
Since the impact of infrastructural conditions on the shaping of cultural memories is not yet fully recognized, this project scrutinizes various factors that affect exhibitions (artistic, historical, ethnographic, memorials etc.) construed as forms of mediatized memory. The factors in question include the materiality of artifacts, conservation requirements, the architecture of exhibition spaces, installation formats and display techniques, legal frameworks, managerial strategies, and financial sources for cultural institutions, networks of collaboration, cultural education practices, and environmental and climate aspects. What is more, due to the accelerating processes of globalization, the development of local and national memory cultures cannot be considered apart from the broader transnational changes in the field. The project, therefore, considers the development of the German and/or Polish memory cultures in a broader transnational context. More specifically, the research focuses on various types of exhibitions that showcase Polish and German histories of World War II and the Holocaust in so far as they deal with relations between the two countries. In doing so, the project takes into account the roles of both human and non-human actors which condition cultural production.
The PIs of the projects: dr Tomasz Załuski (the University of Lodz) and dr hab. Magdalena Saryusz-Wolska (German Historical Institute in Warsaw).
Tasks:
The two doctoral students are expected to carry out research on the reception and circulation of selected exhibitions in Poland and Germany that deal with World War II and the Holocaust and have been on display in the course of the last two decades. The methods involved may include public discourse analysis, archival research, expert interviews, curatorial strategies and educational programs analysis, and content analysis with a special focus on the interconnections between exhibition narratives. The doctoral students should finish their research by September 2026 and submit their dissertations by September 2027. The defense of the dissertations will take place at the Faculty of Philology at the University of Lodz.
The doctoral students are obliged to:
- prepare a dissertation based on the project research;
- show interest in the topic of the project, i.e., cultural memories of Poland and Germany, museum studies, and exhibition studies;
- publish the results of the research in high-quality journals and/or high-quality collective volumes of international range, individually and in cooperation with the PIs;
- present the findings at international conferences and seminars;
- demonstrate a good knowledge of the research apparatus of cultural studies, memory studies or museum studies; have the ability to conduct interviews and work with collected data.
We offer:
- scholarship of 1.000 Euro/month (pre-tax) from October 2023 to September 2027 (48 months); the scholarship holders must submit annual reports on the progress of the research and the status of the dissertation project, and if the report is not approved by the PIs of the research project, the scholarship may be revoked;
- participation in an innovative research project contributing to memory studies, museum and exhibition studies, Polish and German studies;
- engaged supervisors;
- regular research meetings and seminars for professional and constructive feedback;
- additional research cost allowance (research trips, literature, proofreading, etc.);
- excellent research infrastructures at the participating institutions, i.e., the University of Lodz, the German Historical Institute in Warsaw, and the University of Regensburg;
- a PhD Diploma of the University of Lodz after a successful defense of the dissertation (cotutelle programs are possible within the Doctoral School).
Requirements:
The candidates should have an excellent MA in cultural studies, history, sociology, art history, anthropology, or similar fields. They should be fluent in English, and Polish or German (preferably both). Residency in any of the cities of the home institutions (Lodz and Warsaw) is not required. However, the doctoral students must participate in person in regular meetings and seminars at the home institutions; the travel costs to these events will not be covered.
Candidates should submit:
- a copy of the MA diploma
- cover letter containing a description of scientific interests and achievements as well as a justification of the intention to undertake scientific work under the research project, in English;
- individual project proposal (max. 3 pages) within the thematic scope of the research program, in English;
- curriculum vitae (including the history of previous education and employment as well as a list of publications and other scientific achievements, if applicable);
- copies of up to two academic articles (if applicable);
- at least one recommendation letter (if available) and/or the names and contact information of two referees;
- the following statement: “I consent to the processing of my personal data for the purposes of the recruitment process (in accordance with the personal data for the Personal Data Protection Act of August 29, 1997, Journal of Laws No. 133, item 883).”
Incomplete applications will be rejected. The selection board will evaluate the applications, and the selected candidates will be invited to an interview. It will be held in person or via the selected internet platform in English, and Polish or German. After the interviews, the chairman of the selection board will prepare a protocol containing the names of the candidates recommended for the work in the research project. If additional questions occur, the board will contact the selected persons via email or phone. The persons selected for the scholarships and work in the research team will be informed by email.
Candidates should submit their applications to tomasz.zaluski@uni.lodz.pl by August 25, 2023 with the message subject “PhD Infrastructures”. The announcement of the competition results will be made no later than September 21, 2023.
Candidates who would like to join the University of Lodz Doctoral School of the Humanities should submit their applications to both the research project and the University of Lodz submission portal https://www.uni.lodz.pl/sdnh/rekrutacja. Joining the Doctoral School is voluntary and has no consequences for the total amount of the scholarship.
The host institutions are family-friendly employers, particularly concerned about the compatibility of family and career. They implement all equality policy requirements.
