The Max Weber Foundation (MWS), based in Bonn, and its research institutes abroad are among the leading German research institutions of the humanities and social sciences. The Foundation has more than 350 employees worldwide and offers numerous fellowships.
The Orient-Institut Beirut (OI Beirut) of the MWS conducts research in the humanities and social sciences on the Middle East and North Africa from late antiquity to the present. The OI Beirut houses a large specialized library of more than 140,000 volumes and provides access to more than 100,000 electronic resources. For information on our promotion of academic excellence and our commitment to academic freedom, please see the OI Beirut Mission Statement.
The OI Beirut is seeking to appoint, effective 1 March 2027, a Research Associate (f/m/d)in Politics, Society and Economy in the Arab World. The place of employment is Beirut.
The methodological and geographical focus of this position is open; transregional, comparative and empirically grounded approaches are preferred. You will carry out your own research projects (55% of working time) while also taking an active role in the institute’s wide range of responsibilities (45% of working time). You will represent the institute in your discipline. In doing so, you will situate your social-science research within Beirut’s academic landscape and the OI Beirut’s interdisciplinary research matrix.
Requirements
- completed doctorate with a focus on the social sciences and specialisation in the Arabic-speaking world
- excellent command of Arabic and English, as well as German language skills sufficient for academic administration
- publications in academic journals or a monograph (appropriate to career stage)
Desirable
- professional experience in the German academic system
- experience in acquiring third-party funding
- Digital Humanities Competence
Responsibilities
- conduct research leading to academic articles and a monograph
- institutional responsibilities, e.g. Digital Humanities, publications or science communication
- organising workshops, seminars and international conferences
- applying for third-party funding for individual and collaborative research
- developing an intellectual presence that projects into the host region and back to Germany
We expect professionalism in your work for the institute and an outstanding academic profile compatible with interdisciplinary research.
The Max Weber Foundation is a family-friendly employer that attaches particular importance to the compatibility of work and family life. However, due to the current situation in Lebanon, minor children cannot accompany staff on this posting at present. Information on living and working conditions in Beirut is available on our website. We are committed to equality for people of all genders and to equal opportunities for people with severe disabilities. We value diversity and therefore welcome all applications regardless of nationality, ethnic and social background, religion, world view and age.
A German employment contract is envisaged. Remuneration is in accordance with pay grade 13 of the Collective Agreement for the Public Service (TVöD), plus a foreign-service allowance and a rent subsidy in accordance with German federal regulations. The appointment is made under the Academic Fixed-Term Contract Act (WissZeitVG), for a period of 3 years; an extension for a further 2 years is possible. A prerequisite for such a contract is that you hold the citizenship of an EU or EEA country and are subject to German social security regulations. Otherwise, you will be employed on a local contract, insofar as this is possible under Lebanese law. In this case, remuneration follows the corresponding pay grade of the German Embassy Beirut’s salary scale for local employment contracts.
Applications (cover letter, project description with reference to the interdisciplinary research matrix of the OI Beirut (max. 3 pages), CV with list of publications, certificates, and the names and e-mail addresses of two referees) should be sent by e-mail by 15 December 2026 to: Bewerbungen(at)orient-institut.org
Please also state whether and how you used Artificial Intelligence in preparing your application.
For further information, please contact Dr. Barbara Winckler (winckler(at)orient-institut.org).