Search

The Forum Transregionale Studien (Forum) is a research institution fostering international cooperation between scholars of different expertise and perspectives on global issues. The Forum provides scope for exchange on questions of science policy, epistemology and ethics, and develops infrastructures and formats that allow transregional research ideas and projects to be tested, implemented and communicated. The Forum is committed to strengthening regional studies and to the principle of non-hierarchical research. It appoints scholars from around the world as fellows and engages in joint research programs and initiatives with partners from universities and research institutions in and outside of Berlin. The Forum is funded by the Berlin Senate Department for Higher Education and Research, Health and Long-Term Care.

Beyond Restitution: Heritage, (Dis)Possession and the Politics of Knowledge (BEYONDREST) is an interdisciplinary research project, funded by the European Research Council (Grant Agreement No. 101045661). At the Forum, it is affiliated to the research program Europe in the Middle East – The Middle East in Europe (EUME). On the backdrop of ongoing debates to decolonialize museums, the interdisciplinary research project BEYONDREST takes restitution not as an endpoint but as the point of departure to explore what kind of loss dispossessed artworks engender, and how this loss has shaped the knowledge production on heritage. Geographically it focuses on the interlocution between Western Europe, the Near and Middle East, and North Africa, mapping relationships between people and “things” that have largely been left out of current restitution debates. The research is directed by Principal Investigator Dr. Banu Karaca. More information is available here.
 

The student assistant’s tasks are to support the project and particularly its PI, including the following main tasks:

• Preparation of scientific publications (editing, proofreading, image rights clearance, etc.)
• Gathering of literature, media materials, and cultural policy papers
• Compiling annotated bibliographies
• Preparing and realizing academic events, including follow-ups
• Updating and maintaining the project website
• General office duties and travel organization

Requirements:

• Student in Anthropology, Cultural Studies, Social Sciences, Area Studies or Legal Studies, preferably with a focus on the Near and/or Middle East and an interest in the thematic focus of the research project, especially heritage and questions of restitution,
• Strong organizational and communication skills (proven e.g. by student employment, volunteer work)
• (Initial) editing and proofreading experience is an advantage
• Fluency in English. German, Arabic, Turkish or French language skills of advantage
• Competency in handling common office software, as well as literature and research databases (Zotero etc.); willingness to become acquainted and work with content management systems and databases
• Independent and reliable working method

Our institution aims to reflect society in its entirety. Therefore, we invite applications from individuals regardless of their cultural and social background, gender, age, religion, worldviews, disabilities, and sexual orientation.

In order to be employed, candidates must be enrolled (as MA or BA students) at a university or college. Working conditions and salary are based on the Labour Agreement for Student Employees (Tarifvertrag für studentische Beschäftigte) as of January 1, 2003 (TV Stud II) and on the Minimum Wage Law of the State of Berlin (Landesmindestlohngesetz) in its currently valid version.

Please send your application (cover letter, Curriculum Vitae, certificates) in German or English language in one PDF file via email to bewerbung(at)trafo-berlin.de until November 24, 2024. Job interviews are expected to take place between December 2 and December 6, 2024. Contact person is Dr. Banu Karaca, BEYONDREST’s Principal Investigator. If you have any questions, please contact Judith Sieber (beyondrest[at]trafo-berlin.de), coordinator of BEYONDREST.