Graduate School of East Asian Studies (GEAS), funded by the Excellence Initiative of the German Federal and State Governments, will admit doctoral candidates to its program, beginning October 1st, 2018. Up to 9 candidates will be accepted.
GEAS offers a social science-based, structured 3-year PhD programme with a regional focus on East Asia (China, Japan, Korea). Doctoral dissertations at GEAS are expected to analyze the institutional environment of social, political, cultural and economic actors in the East Asian region. All dissertation research at GEAS will be conducted in the context of the three interconnected research lenses of its academic profile: 1. the origin and change of institutions in East Asia, 2. the effects institutions have on processes, related to globalization and modernization in East Asia on the side of governments, bureaucracies, businesses, individual life-styles, etc., and, finally, 3. the interdependencies of institutions in East Asia within and beyond its regional boundaries.
Requirements
Successful applicants will have an above average master’s degree in either area studies (Chinese Studies, Japanese Studies, Korean Studies) or a discipline represented at the Graduate School (Political Science, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Business, Economics, Law, History, Cultural Studies, Humanities) with a focus on East Asia. The language of communication is English. Successful candidates will also have language skills in an East Asian Language (Chinese, Japanese, or Korean) at a level of B2 or higher.
Doctoral students’ membership in the programme is contingent upon a positive evaluation after each year of study.
Scholarship Availability
Up to two positions for international candidates are funded by GSSP, the Graduate School Scholarship Programme of German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). Two further positions for PhD students with Chinese citizenship are available through the cooperation of Freie Universität and Chinese Scholarship Council through Beijing Office (FU-CSC PhD Scholarship). A limited number of students researching Korea will be recommended after a positive selection to receive scholarships by Korean research foundations.
Candidates who are not offered a scholarship can be admitted to the programme, provided that they apply for and secure external funding from other foundations and sponsors at the same time as applying for GEAS. The coordination office will support the applications and provide assistance if necessary.
Applicants are required to apply online at the application portal. Note that the candidates selected for a nomination for DAAD have to submit a subsequent application to the funding organization for a final decision. Applicants for CSC must submit their application to Beijing Office of Freie Universität until January 2018 at http://www.fu-berlin.de/china .
Applications should include
- a CV
- a letter of academic interest
- a brief outline of the prospective dissertation topic (maximum 6 pages)
- a schedule for the dissertation
- and copies of certificates of your relevant degrees and language skills.
Two letters of recommendation shall be sent or uploaded directly by your referees to GEAS via the online application system before the deadline. For more information and guidelines as well as for applications, please register at the online application portal .
The next application deadline will be December 1, 2017. For questions on admission and the online portal, please also consult the Admission FAQ on our homepage.
The screening takes place in spring 2018. Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed (via Skype). Candidates accepted for admission into GEAS will receive notice by mid-May 2017.
For additional information, please check our website and feel free to contact us at application@geas.fu-berlin.de. No legal entitlement shall be constituted by applying to the program. Reasons for rejections will not be disclosed.