The Institute of History at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zürich) invites applications for a

Doctoral position (100%)

in the research project “Swiss ‘Tools of Empire’. A transnational history of Mercenaries in the Dutch East Indies, 1814—1914”, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation.
The position is for four years and is affiliated to the chair ‘History of the Modern World’ (Prof. Dr. Harald Fischer-Tiné). The beginning is 1 June 2017 (or at the candidate’s earliest convenience).
Applicants should hold an M.A. (or its equivalent). Applications are welcome from candidates with a background in Transnational European History, Global History and/or the History of European-Asian Entanglements (18th to 20th century). Applicants should be proficient in at least two of the following languages and be prepared to acquire reading proficiency in the third language during their first year: German, French, and Dutch. Knowledge of Bahasa Indonesian is a welcome asset, but not mandatory. Candidates with advanced experience in information technologies are given preference.
Successful Candidates will work in close cooperation with the project leader (Dr. Bernhard Schär) and a student assistant. They will be expected to build a database with sources from Swiss, Dutch, and Indonesian archives, examine further qualitative source materials and write a PhD-thesis within the four years under contract. Furthermore, they are expected to present interim results at national and international conferences, publish at least two scholarly articles, and assist in organizing an international conference in Zurich.
The project will cover the costs of the successful applicant’s extensive research stays in Swiss, Dutch, and Indonesian archives, a language course, and travel expenses for conferences. The chair ‘History of the Modern World’ offers an inspiring research environment in an international team of doctoral and postdoctoral students, and regular exchanges with Global Historians from around the world. Successful applicants will have full access to modern infrastructure in one of the world’s leading research universities located in the heart of Zürich.
For further information please contact Mrs. Béatrice Schatzmann-von Aesch (beatrice.schatzmann@gmw.gess.ethz.ch) by email and read the project proposal on our website (http://www.gmw.ethz.ch/aktuell/swiss-tools.html ).
Applications (in German or English) with curriculum vitae, documentation of qualifications, a sample chapter from the M.A. thesis or an article, contact details of at least one academic teacher, and a letter of motivation addressed to Dr. Bernhard Schär, should be submitted electronically to Mrs. Béatrice Schatzmann-von Aesch, beatrice.schatzmann@gmw.gess.ethz.ch. The application deadline is May 15th, 2017.