MA/MRes Studentship at the Institute for German Studies, University of Birmingham
The Institute for German Studies at the University of Birmingham is seeking to support a one-year MA studentship in the context of the DAAD-funded project: (Not) Made in Germany: Imagining Germany From the Outside (details below).
The successful candidate will complete either the MRes in Modern Languages or MA in Political Science, with a dissertation on a topic related to the ‘(Not) Made in Germany’ initiative. He or she will be expected to provide administrative and research support to the project team. The studentship will cover tuition fees at UK/EU rate. Supervision will be provided by the most appropriate member(s) of the research team. The studentship will commence in October 2015 and continue for one year.
The successful candidate will hold a good BA or equivalent in a relevant topic and meet all other entry requirements for our Masters programmes. Applicants will be expected to possess a good knowledge of German (B2 or above on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).
Prospective candidates should send a CV and dissertation outline (no more than 1 side of A4) indicating their fit with the project to: Dr Nicholas Martin ([log in to unmask]). The deadline for applications is 31 March 2015. Informal enquiries prior to full applications are welcomed.
For further information on the courses see:
http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/combined/lang/modern-languages.aspx (MRes Modern Languages);
http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/taught/govsoc/political-science.aspx#CourseOverviewTab (MA Political Science)
For further information on the Institute for German Studies see: www.igs.bham.ac.uk
(Not) Made in Germany: Imagining Germany from the Outside
Through this project – which will begin in January 2015 – the IGS will continue to consolidate and expand its role as a primary hub for the support and inspiration of German Studies in the UK as well as its reputation as a leading global research centre. Funding has been awarded by the DAAD to establish a high-profile academic network: (Not) Made in Germany: Imagining Germany from the Outside. This interdisciplinary research network will focus on views of Germany from abroad. Specifically, it will seek to analyse how images of contemporary Germany are constructed “from the outside” in the areas of economics, politics, education, history and culture. The network will bring staff and postgraduate students from German universities and the worldwide DAAD German Studies Centres to the IGS in a series of research visits focused around these five core strands.
Particular research questions to be addressed by the network include:
• To what extent do Germany’s self-perceptions of its political standing differ from the perceptions of Germany’s reputation, power and influence held by its European neighbours and the wider world?
• What roles do governments, the press, and museums outside Germany play in mediating and shaping processes of commemoration and of rethinking German history?
• What are the benefits of the ‘outsider’s’ perspective and what impact do these have on self-images and on policymaking decisions in Germany?
The Masters student assisting on the project will produce a dissertation broadly in the area of external perspectives on Germany with a focus on one or more of the core research strands. Subject to peer review, the dissertation may be published in revised form in a special journal issue emerging from the network. He or she will also benefit from interaction and engagement with the international group of experts involved in the network and will gain practical experience and skills through assisting in the administration and management of the project.
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