Freie Universität Berlin
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PhD places at Graduate School of East Asian Studies (GEAS) Freie Universität Berlin in Germany
Degree Level
PhD
Field of study
Anthropology
Funding
Available
Deadline
Nov 15, 2026
Country
Germany
University
Freie Universität Berlin
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About this position
Graduate School of East Asian Studies (GEAS) at Freie Universität Berlin is inviting applications for PhD places for the 2027 intake. The programme is a structured three-year doctoral programme embedded within a four-year PhD process, with a regional focus on East Asia, including China, Japan and Korea.
Doctoral dissertations should analyse modern or contemporary East Asia in areas such as politics, society, economy, culture, law or history. The programme is designed for highly qualified candidates with an above-average master’s degree in area studies or in one of the participating disciplines, provided the proposed project has a clear East Asia focus.
Eligible academic backgrounds include Chinese, Japanese or Korean Studies, Political Science, International Law, Public Law, History, Cultural Studies, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Business and Economics, Performance Studies and Transregional Studies. GEAS requires strong language skills: English at C1 level, plus Chinese, Japanese or Korean at B2 or higher. Applicants who are native in English or in one of the East Asian languages must also demonstrate another modern foreign language at B2 or higher.
Applicants are not expected to contact supervisors before applying, but are encouraged to review GEAS member profiles to ensure their project fits a supervisor’s research profile. Topics in Linguistics, Literary Studies, Education, Film, Media and Communication Studies cannot be supervised.
Applications for the 2027 intake are open from 15 September 2026 to 15 November 2026. Successful candidates will start in the fall semester on 1 October 2027 and should apply online via the Dahlem Research School Application Portal.
Funding details
Available
What's required
Applicants must hold an above-average master's degree in area studies (Chinese, Japanese or Korean Studies) or in a discipline represented at GEAS with a focus on East Asia, including Political Science, International Law, Public Law, History, Cultural Studies, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Business and Economics, Performance Studies or Transregional Studies. Applicants must have English at C1 level and Chinese, Japanese or Korean at B2 or higher. If the applicant is a native speaker of English or one of the East Asian languages, another modern foreign language at B2 or higher is required. Dissertation topics in Linguistics, Literary Studies, Education, Film, Media and/or Communication Studies cannot be supervised.
How to apply
Register and apply online through the Dahlem Research School Application Portal. Applications for the 2027 intake are open from 2026-09-15 to 2026-11-15.
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Prepare your application
Review drafts and confirm requirements with the university.
Make your next move.
Prepare your application
Review drafts and confirm requirements with the university.