1 PhD Position: Post-Imperial Secularism and Constitutional Legitimacy in Central Asia

Call for Applications
1 PhD Position: Post-Imperial Secularism and Constitutional Legitimacy in Central Asia

This is one of 15 fully-funded PhD positions in the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network “A Sociology of Post-Imperial Islamic Legal Cultures: Insights from Central Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, and Southeast Asia” (MINARET-DN), an EU-funded consortium made up of 11 leading universities and research centres across Europe.

As a partner institution, Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient (Geisteswissenschaftliche Zentren Berlin e.V.) is now advertising the position of a research fellow (m/f/div), to start on 1 September 2027. A 36-month full-time EU MSCA employment contract will be offered. Remuneration is paid in accordance with MSCA regulations.

The research fellow is expected to complete a doctoral dissertation in Modern History, Social and Cultural Anthropology, or Central Asian Studies. To this end, they will enrol as a PhD candidate at a Berlin university. A 36-month full-time EU MSCA employment contract will be offered. Remuneration is paid in accordance with MSCA regulations. Additional funds for research and conference travel, visa fees (if required), and publications are available. The position is based in Berlin, yet there will be regular travel as part of the doctoral network.

As part of the broader MINARET-DN frame (see below), the PhD candidate will carry out research on the subject of “Post-Imperial Secularism and Constitutional Legitimacy in Central Asia,” exploring how Soviet legal legacies continue to shape constitutional legitimacy and governance in Central Asia. More specifically the PhD project examines how Soviet-derived constitutional and legal structures continue to influence state-building, governance, and citizenship in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The doctoral candidate will investigate how secularism shapes contemporary constitutional reforms and affects the relationship between state authority, religion, and democratic development. The project seeks to explain how legal institutions inherited from imperial governance contribute to both political stability and authoritarian resilience.

Framework

The MINARET-DN programme trains 15 doctoral candidates (DC) in the sociology of post-imperial legal cultures, with a regional focus on Central Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, and Southeast Asia. The programme examines the interactions between law, religion, and governance in Muslim-majority societies shaped by imperial legacies and ongoing processes of constitutional transformation. Its three core goals are:

1. Empirical & theoretical innovation on the interconnections between law, religion, governance, constitutionalism, democratization, and security in post-imperial Muslim-majority societies.
2. Sustainable interdisciplinary doctoral training across disciplines, sectors, and regions, creating a new generation of experts in Islamic legal cultures and constitutional transformation.
3. Policy outreach and societal impact, translating research findings into actionable intelligence through workshops, conferences, publications, policy briefs, and stakeholder engagement activities.

Doctoral candidates will benefit from joint supervision, international and inter-sectoral secondments, advanced methodological and transferable skills training, and a bridge between academic research and policy practice.

To read more about the MINARET project please see: https://www.soclaw.lu.se/en/article/major-eu-grant-lund-led-phd-programme-islamic-legal-cultures

Your responsibilities:

• Development of a doctoral research project within the MINARET-DN framework, in close cooperation with the ZMO project leaders Prof Dr. Stefan B. Kirmse and Dr. Aksana Ismailbekova
• Submission of a doctoral dissertation in Modern History, Social and Cultural Anthropology, or Central Asian Studies
• Participation in activities of the MINARET-DN programme
• Participation in key academic formats of the host institute ZMO
• Help with the documentation of project results and academic reports
• Contributions to project blogs, social media, podcasts, etc.

Candidate profile:

• Excellent academic performance and MA in history, social and cultural anthropology, socio-legal studies, or area studies (with a focus on Central Eurasia)
• No PhD at the time of recruitment
• Compliance with the MSCA Mobility Rule: applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc) in the host country for more than 12 months during the 36 months immediately before recruitment
• Excellent command of the Russian and English languages is required; command of at least one Central Asia language at intermediate level; German is desirable but not mandatory
• Excellent communication and team skills
• Ability to work independently
• Good knowledge of MS Office

About the Host Institution (ZMO)

Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient (ZMO) is a publicly funded research centre for interdisciplinary research on the history, society and cultures of Asia, Africa and the Middle East and their interconnections among one another and with Europe. The centre currently employs about 30 research fellows from diverse national backgrounds, the majority of them anthropologists, historians, and scholars of Islam. ZMO is one of three humanities’ research centres which together form Geisteswissenschaftliche Zentren Berlin (GWZ) e.V. ZMO is part of the Leibniz Association. With more than 230 employees at two sites in Berlin, GWZ e.V. is one of the leading extra-university research centres in the humanities.

Application Process

When filling positions in areas of employment in which one gender is underrepresented or diversity is low, applicants with the same qualifications and suitability who belong to underrepresented groups are given priority. Search committees represent gender equality and diversity while looking for high standards of academic rigour in the candidates.

Applicants must submit a single PDF file containing the following documents:

• Cover letter (maximum 2 pages)
• Research proposal outlining your interest in the specific project (2–3 pages recommended)
• Curriculum Vitae (up to 3 pages)
• Degree certificates and academic transcripts
• Contact details for two academic referees
• Writing sample

Using the reference code MINARET-DN, please send your file to the Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient ([email protected]) by 31 January 2027. For further information on the project, please contact Prof Dr. Stefan B. Kirmse: ([email protected]).