The Faculty of Economics at the University of Bremen invites candidates to apply for the following position in the field of Institutional Economics and Comparative Political Economy (Professorship of Institutional Change, Prof. Dr. Michael Rochlitz), to be filled as soon as possible:

Research Assistant (PhD candidate) – salary 13 TV-L (50% part time)
The appointment is for a period of three years, and will be filled subject to regulatory approval.

The employment is fixed-term and governed by the Act of Academic Fixed-Term Contract, §2 I (Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz – WissZeitVG). Therefore, candidates may only be considered for appointment if they still have the respective qualification periods available in accordance with § 2 (1) WissZeitVG.

Field of Activity

The Professorship specializes in the study of institutional change and the political economy of economic transition in Eastern Europe and Asia, with a particular focus on Russia and China, but also on other transition societies such as Ukraine, Belarus, Vietnam and North Korea. The methodological focus is mostly on quantitative and empirical work, in particular field and survey experiments and randomized controlled trials, which are complemented by qualitative studies and interviews. At the moment, specific projects deal with the economic consequences of anti-corruption campaigns, the influence of information, new media, and social networks on institutional change, property rights and the role of the security services in Russia and China, as well as the political economy of structural change in Russia’s single company towns.

The professorship is institutionally affiliated with the research group „Modernisierungsblockaden in Wirtschaft und Wissenschaft der DDR“ (Mod-Block-DDR) (https://www.uni-bremen.de/guenther/drittmittel/laufende-drittmittelprojekte/), the Research Centre for East European Studies at the University of Bremen (https://www.forschungsstelle.uni-bremen.de/en/), as well as the International Center for the Study of Institutions and Development (ICSID) at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow (https://iims.hse.ru/en/csid/).

Responsibilities:

Preparation of a PhD dissertation related to the above outlined research fields
Active participation in research projects within the research group of the professorship, with the aim to publish research papers in peer-reviewed international journals
Participation in scientific conferences
Help with logistical and organizational tasks related to the professorship

Requirements

An above average master degree (normally 300 credit points) in economics, political science, or a related field
Strong interest in research questions in the field of institutional economics and comparative political economy
Research skills in quantitative empirical methods, esp. econometrics and/or qualitative research skills
Willingness to learn and become familiar with new methods and analytical approaches
Excellent English language skills, and at least basic German language skills (or the willingness to acquire basic German language skills during the first months of the PhD)
Language skills related to the file of activity of the professorship (Russian, Ukrainian, Chinese, Vietnamese…) are a plus
Scientific curiosity and the ability to work in a team

What we offer

Employment contract for 3 years
Possibility of independent research for a doctoral degree (normally a cumulative dissertation)
Becoming part of a team of young and motivated international researchers
Participation in doctoral courses, scientific workshops, and international conferences
Help with establishing an international network (with specific focus on, but not limited to, Russia and China)
Close institutional cooperation with the Bremen International Graduate School of Social Sciences (BIGSSS), as well as the Research Centre for East European Studies at the University of Bremen
Posibility of further training in the field of social science research methods

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Please send your application (one pdf file) with all necessary information (letter of motivation, CV, certificates etc.) and a version of your final thesis or a selected research paper until May 19th, 2019 indicating the position number A127/19 to:

University of Bremen, Faculty of Business Studies and Economics, Prof. Dr. Michael Rochlitz, Professorship of Economics, Innovation and Structural Economics, Hochschulring 4, 28359 Bremen, Germany or by Email to: office-guentheruni-bremen.de