The Max Weber Centre for Advanced Cultural and Social Studies (Max-Weber-Kolleg) at the University of Erfurt is a distinguished Institute for Advanced Study and an active member of the University-Based Institutes for Advanced Study (UBIAS) network. Founded in 1998 in Max Weber’s birthplace, the Max-Weber-Kolleg combines an interdisciplinary research environment with a vibrant fellowship programme that welcomes both junior and senior scholars from around the world. Fellows are fully integrated into the intellectual life of the centre, with access to office space and university infrastructure.
Erfurt, the capital of Thuringia, is not only the birthplace of Max Weber, but also the town where the first university in Germany was founded (1379/1392), and where Martin Luther studied and became a monk. Erfurt was an important marketplace in the Middle Ages, and the picturesque old town still provides a vivid impression of this today. The Jewish sites, which also date back to the Middle Ages, have been awarded UNESCO World Heritage status.
The Max-Weber-Kolleg fosters exchange across the humanities and social sciences, particularly in sociology, religious studies, philosophy, history, anthropology, economy, and law, with strong emphasis on transcultural and comparative perspectives. Its current research programme is entitled “comparative cultural analysis of world relations”. Fellows participate in weekly colloquia, where they both present and engage with ongoing research by peers and resident scholars. The centre values dialogue across disciplines and encourages fellows to engage beyond their academic comfort zones, creating a stimulating environment for qualitative research.
As part of a joint fellowship with IIAS, fellows benefit from Max-Weber-Kolleg’s involvement in several major collaborative research initiatives with global reach. These include the ICAS:MP (Merian Centre Delhi), which focuses on South Asia and political transformations in the long 20th century; the research group (KFG) “Religion and Urbanity,” with a regular focus on South Asia; and the collaborative research center (SFB) on “Structural Change of Property,” a transregional project with subprojects in India, and Latin America, among others.
The ideal fellow for this joint placement will have an interest in interdisciplinary research, a willingness to engage in comparative and transcultural discussions, and a strong project that resonates with one or more of the Max-Weber-Kolleg’s core research areas.
Joining IIAS and Max-Weber-Kolleg as co-hosts provides fellows with a unique opportunity to work in two intellectually rich environments in Europe committed to rethinking Asia’s place in the world through critical, global dialogue.