PhD position within the Horizons project: MINARET – A Sociology of Post-Imperial Islamic Legal Cultures: Insights from Central Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, and Southeast Asia — Universität Zürich

Full description

Department of Social Anthropology and Cultural Studies (ISEK)

Start of employment 01.08.2027, temporary

We are seeking motivated candidates for a full-time PhD position within the MINARET Doctoral Network, funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions under Horizon Europe in the track Religious, Customary and State Law: Negotiating Plural Legal Orders (DC 7). About the programme MINARET Doctoral Network trains 15 doctoral candidates (DCs) in the sociology of post-imperial Islamic 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 and 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.

DC7 is the sub-project based at the University of Zurich. It investigates how religious, customary, and state legal systems interact and shape governance, citizenship, and social life in Muslim-majority societies. Potential field sites include Southeast Asia, the Middle East or Central Asia. It analyses how multiple legal orders compete and cooperate in defining citizenship, family relations, public morality, and economic activities. The study aims to reveal how institutional pluralism shapes social relations, perceptions of justice, and constitutional legitimacy. All doctoral candidates will be hosted at one of 11 leading European universities within the MINARET consortium and will work closely with a wide network of academic and non-academic partners across Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, Southeast Asia, and North America. They will benefit from joint supervision, international and intersectoral secondments, advanced methodological and transferable skills training, and unique opportunities to bridge academic research with policy and 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

What we offer

A dynamic, innovative and challenging research and teaching environment, an excellent opportunity for further qualifications, and a motivated and team-minded faculty interested in academic exchange. Competitive salary plus financial support for fieldwork periods, publications and academic conferences. PhD students at ISEK have also the opportunity to join the „Swiss Graduate Program in Anthropology“ (https://anthropology.cuso.ch/welcome). Duration: 36 months of full-time employment

Your responsibilities

If selected for the position, the doctoral candidate will join the research team at the Department of Social Anthropology and Cultural Studies, headed by Prof. Peter Finke, who will also serve as principal supervisor. They will be given sufficient time, guidance, and resources to develop their individual research, aligned with the overall MINARET project's aims. Note that they will also be required to fulfil the mandatory study requirements for doctoral students at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Zurich. All PhD candidates admitted to the programme are required to conduct extensive fieldwork and undertake two secondments abroad, one academic and one non-academic of between two and six months duration. You will participate in training events, workshops, and conferences organized by the MINARET Doctoral Network, and collaborate with international supervisors and peers. Through collaboration with universities, civil society organisations, think tanks, public institutions, and development agencies, doctoral candidates will also gain first-hand experience of legal, political, and governance transformations in post-imperial Muslim-majority societies while developing the skills necessary for successful careers in academia, policymaking, international organisations, and the wider public and private sectors. In addition, you are expected to contribute to departmental activities. You should have strong motivation and ability to work independently under pressure as well as good collaboration and communication skills. For further information on eligibility criteria and on Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks in general, please refer to: Doctoral Networks - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions.

Your profile

Applicants should hold an MA in anthropology or a related discipline. They should bring along a strong academic record, as well as experience in ethnographic fieldwork. High proficiency in English, both written and spoken, is expected. Knowledge of local languages, depending on the chosen field site(s) will be essential to conduct fieldwork successfully. Doctoral candidates cannot have been awarded a doctoral degree and/or completed more than four years of full-time equivalent research experience. They must not have resided or carried out their main activity (i.e. work, studies) in the hosting country for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before the recruitment date.

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What we offer

Work-Life Balance

• Flexible working models (such as part-time positions, mobile working, job-sharing)
• Childcare at the kihz foundation of UZH and ETH

More Learning and Development

• Wide range of continuing education courses of UZH and the Canton of Zurich
• Language Center run jointly with ETH Zurich

Food

• Food and drinks at reduced prices in the UZH cafeterias
• Lunch-Check-card with UZH contribution

Healthcare

• Special conditions on the Academic Sports Association ASVZ
• Free seasonal flu vaccinations
• Rest and relaxation at the quiet room in the university tower

Discounts

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• Policies of the UZH
• Most UZH staff are employed according to public law

International Services

• Support for people from outside Switzerland

Campuses

• Campuses Zurich City, Zurich Irchel, Oerlikon and Schlieren
• Sites Zurich West, Old Botanical Garden, Botanical Garden and Lengg

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