Qualifications

Q: I plan to submit my thesis in June/July/August/September. Can I still apply?

No. It is acceptable if you are still waiting for your grade/the oral defense or anything else your university might stipulate for the completion of the program. (In that case, please ask your referee to confirm the expected date of completion.) However, your PhD thesis has to be submitted at the latest by the time of the interview. The graduate school has an ambitious schedule and needs to make sure the prospective fellow can start work with full commitment in Berlin on October 1.

Q: My university grants degrees only once a year/semester. That date is after the interview in late May. Can I still apply?

Yes. As long as your thesis is submitted at the latest by the time of the interview, you can apply (see above). It is acceptable if you are still waiting for your grade/the oral defense or anything else your university might stipulate for the completion of the program. (In that case, please ask your referee to confirm the expected date of completion.)

Q: I completed my PhD earlier than 2016. Can I still apply for the postdoc position?

No. Regrettably, we cannot accept applications from more experienced scholars for the postdoc position.

Q: I have a PhD in a field other than history or an area studies discipline. Can I still apply?

The short answer is that a background in history and area studies is what the school needs to be able to develop a coherent program - the overall goal of the school is, after all, to advance debates in global and intellectual history. With a majority of applications coming from historians and area studies scholars, there will be strong competition; the search committee is also made up exclusively of people from those two fields.

Should you decide to apply, we strongly advise to ground your proposal in the literature on global history, intellectual history, postcolonial studies and so on and to explicitly relate it to the research program as laid out on the website. It would also be good to explain your reasons for applying with a different disciplinary background in the cover letter.

Q: Can I name more than one referee (postdoc: two referees)?

No. We would appreciate if you stick closely to the instructions stated in the call for applications. Only the first two referees will be contacted.

Research proposals

Q: I have already started doing research for the proposed project. Is that a disadvantage?

No. The search committee will appreciate well thought-out research proposals.

Q: I have already prepared a proposal for a different application. Can I use this one?

We highly recommend that you take the time to tailor your proposal specifically to your application for the graduate school. Please keep in mind that you will cooperate with fellows that might work on the transfer of Apartheid thought between South Africa and Namibia or the intellectual debates surrounding the introduction of the printing press in the late Ottoman Empire. It is thus essential that you contextualize your research in terms of our research agenda and recent approaches in global and intellectual history.

Languages

Q: Do I need to send formal proof of my language proficiency in English/my research languages?

No. There is no need to take a formal test only for the purpose of applying. If you hold a language certificate, you can mention it in your CV, but please only submit the materials requested in the call for applications. The search committee will gauge your language proficiency from your application materials and our impression at the interview and request additional proof as needed. If not self-evident from your academic training or personal background, you can also briefly explain your language proficiency in the cover letter.

Q: Does the program involve language training?

No. As stated in the call for applications, it is essential that you have a good knowledge of all the languages necessary to carry out your research successfully when coming to Berlin. That said, you are of course free - and encouraged - to make use of the language-learning facilities and resources of Freie Universität and Humboldt-Universität to improve your language proficiency.

Q: Do I need to know German to successfully participate in the program?

No. English will be the language of communication for the program. However, you are free to take German-language classes in your free time should you so desire.