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Тhree PhD scholarships: Young scholars research group NFG 026

A Short History of Telegram

Digital War Publics and Authobiographical Narratives in Central- and Eastern Europe

Project leader: Prof. Dr. Felix Ackermann Contact: felix.ackermann

The Department of Public History at FernUniversität Hagen invites students finishing their M.A. thesis to apply for three PhD fellowships. These will be provided by the Hans Böckler Foundation (HBS) in the frame of a young scholars research group NFG 026 "Digital Histories of Violence in the 21st Century" which will start on May 1, 2024.

The research group aims to conduct a critical analysis of participatory practices in the production of digital publics, with the goal of providing a historical account of the interplay between digitization and warfare at the beginning of the 21st century. To achieve this objective, the members of the research group will investigate the most recent history of digital infrastructures and their role in creating public spheres in response to state violence. The group will take a qualitative empirical approach to explore how new forms of digital public spaces emerge from the interaction of state actors, the private sector, and individuals. Specifically, the fellows will examine the emergence, politicization, and commercialization of war time public spheres since the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea.

Project ideas are welcomed from candidates completing their M.A. in media and communication studies, anthropology, history, sociology, or cultural studies. In a second step, candidates will be supported to initiate a direct application to the HBS Foundation after consulting with Prof. Dr. Felix Ackermann.

Prerequisites include the command of English, which will be the joint working language. Additionally, the command of one Eastern Slavonic language and basic knowledge of German will be helpful to set up the project. The doctoral projects will be hosted at the Department of Public History at FernUniversität’s Faculty of Cultural Studies in Hagen and may be written in either English or German. It is not necessary to move to Hagen. Four regular annual meetings will take place at our Berlin Campus, two in Hagen. FernUniversität is Germany’s oldest distant learning university with 70.000 students enrolled and a research profile focusing on the social, economic and political impact of digitalization processes.

The PhD fellowships will be granted from May 2024, with a duration of two plus one years. The doctoral students will receive a monthly €1,350 basic stipend and a €100 research cost allowance. Additionally, a health insurance subsidy of up to €100 and family allowances can be provided if applicable. Doctoral scholarships are awarded based on the guidelines provided by the BMBF and the selection criteria of the HBS.

Interested candidates are kindly asked to submit a short project outline of up to 2,5 pages that highlights how the proposed project aligns with the research program of the young scholars research group. They are asked to submit their CV and the project outline in English by July 14, 2023 to felix.ackermann.

CfP A Short History of Telegram (PDF 144 KB)