The University of Vienna is a community of over 10,000 individuals, including approximately 7,500 academic staff members, who passionately pursue answers to the profound questions that shape our future. They represent individuals driven by curiosity and a relentless pursuit of excellence. With us, they find the space to try things out and unfold their potential. Are you inspired by their passion and determination? We are currently seeking a/an

University assistant predoctoral 

45 Faculty of Philological and Cultural Studies  

Job vacancy starting: 11/01/2025 | Working hours:  30,00  | Classification CBA: §48 VwGr. B1 Grundstufe (praedoc) 

Limited contract until: 10/31/2029

Job ID: 4464

The Department of South Asian, Tibetan and Buddhist Studies ranks among the largest university centres for the philological-cultural study of South Asia and Tibet in the German-speaking world and is home of several third-party funded research projects. Through cooperation with numerous academic institutions worldwide, the Department is very well connected with the international scholarly community. The Department is also part of the Austrian Science Fund Cluster of Excellence "EurAsian Transformations" and hosts both the Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Documentation of Inner and South Asian Cultural History (CIRDIS) and the Himalaya Archive Vienna (HAV).

Your personal sphere of play:

As predoctoral university assistant you will support the Professor of Cultural and Intellectual History of Premodern South Asia, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Nina Mirnig, in the areas of research, administration, and teaching. You will assist our team in the field of Indology with a focus on the premodern period, particularly in the cultural, religious, and intellectual history of South Asia.

Your future tasks:

The predoctoral university assistant is expected to develop and carry out an independent and original doctoral research project within the subject area. The dissertation should be situated in the field of premodern South Asian studies, one of the core research areas of the department. The research project should preferably engage with a topic in one of the following areas: the religious history, rituals and religious doctrines of early Hindu traditions (e.g. Brahmanism, Śaivism, Vaiṣṇavism, Tantric traditions), Sanskrit literature, epigraphy, cultural and political history of premodern South Asia (a focus on premodern Nepal is also welcome). A methodological approach grounded in philological-historical and cultural studies is expected.

You will actively participate in research, teaching and administration, which includes:

• Participation in research projects within the department, in the areas mentioned above
• Support of and contribution to publication and presentation activities
• Completion of a dissertation agreement within 12 months is expected, unless already in place
• Participation in and independent teaching of courses to the extent of the provisions of the collective agreement
• Supervision and support of students
• Participation in the organisation of meetings, conferences and symposia
• Participation in administrative tasks related to the institute, teaching, and research 

Your profile:

• Completed university degree (Diploma, Mag.phil., MA, MPhil, or equivalent) in the subject area specified under “Your future tasks”
• Excellent knowledge of Sanskrit; good familiarity with the literature of premodern South Asia, particularly primary sources relevant to the religious history and/or epigraphy of South Asia. Familiarity with an additional premodern Indian language is an asset.
• Interest in acquiring competence in relevant aspects of Digital Humanities
• Excellent command of English, both spoken and written
• Knowledge of German (if not the native language), or the willingness to acquire German
• Ability to work in a team, strong organizational skills, reliability, and attention to detail

We also expect:

• Good general computer skills and familiarity with IT applications and solutions relevant to text-based research
• Interest in the history and development of text-critical and/or historical methodologies
• Willingness to engage in interdisciplinary research
• Prior experience in academic project work is an advantage.

What we offer:

Work-life balance: Our employees enjoy flexible working hours and can partially work remotely. 

Inspiring working atmosphere: You are a part of an international academic team in a healthy and fair working environment.

Good public transport connections: Your workplace is easily accessible by public transport.

Internal further training & Coaching: Opportunity to deepen your skills on an ongoing basis. There are over 600 courses to choose from – free of charge.

Fair salary: The basic salary of EUR 3,714,80 (on a full-time basis) increases if we can credit professional experience.

Contract period: The employment duration is 4 years. Initially limited to 1.5 years, the employment relationship is automatically extended to 4 years if the employer does not terminate it within the first 12 months by submitting a non-extension declaration.

Equal opportunities for all: We welcome every additional/new personality to the team!

Please apply with:

Applications can be submitted in German or English and include:

• A cover letter/motivation letter (max. 2 pages)
• A short summary of the proposed doctoral project (max. 2 pages)
• One chapter of the Master’s thesis or an academic publication
• An academic CV
• If applicable, a list of publications
• Copies of degree certificates
• Two letters of recommendation, to be sent directly by the referees to nina.mirnig@univie.ac.at (please include the names and email addresses of your referees in the application)
• Submission via our job portal / “Apply Now” button

If you have any questions, please contact:

Nina Mirnig  

nina.mirnig@univie.ac.at

We look forward to new personalities in our team! 
The University of Vienna has an anti-discriminatory employment policy and attaches great importance to equal opportunities, the advancement of women and diversity. We lay special emphasis on increasing the number of women in senior and in academic positions among the academic and general university staff and therefore expressly encourage qualified women to apply. Given equal qualifications, preference will be given to female candidates.

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​Application deadline: 09/05/2025