ISEK - Ethnographic Museum
PHF/ISEK Junior Researcher & Lecturer (Assistenz) 60 %
Start of employment : 1 September 2025. Duration: 3 years (with option of extension up to max. 6 years), temporaryThe Ethnographic Museum at the University of Zurich is recruiting one junior researcher and lecturer to undertake a doctoral project on the transnational trajectories of colonial heritage held in Switzerland. This project contributes to emerging debates about contested collections, the role of museums and restitution.
The Ethnographic Museum is embedded within the department of Social Anthropology and Cultural Studies. The Social and Cultural Anthropology section consists of four chairs covering a broad spectrum of research areas and places strong emphasis on practice-oriented education with a solid empirical base. In August 2025 Dr. Alice Hertzog will join the department as Assistant Professor of Social and Cultural Anthropology with tenure-track and Director of the Ethnographic Museum at the University of Zurich.
Your responsibilities
As a junior researcher and lecturer (“Assistenz” in the Swiss system) you will develop and undertake a doctoral project on the circulation of contested colonial collections. In addition to dealing with its own collections, the Ethnographic Museum is also a point of contact for local families who have colonial collections in their private possession. Based on selected case-studies, you will research the social biographies of these collections, the ethical conundrums they raise for their current owners and affordances they might hold for other communities. Your research will contribute to emerging scholarship on restitution and returns. More widely, it will question the multiple roles ethnographic museums might play in the re-circulation of colonial cultural heritage, as well as the challenges and limits of such brokerage. With support from the museum research team, you will select comparative case-studies and conduct multi-sited ethnographic fieldwork in the museum, in Switzerland and in the places of origin of these collections. As a junior researcher and lecturer 50% of your time will be reserved for your own doctoral research, and you will be expected to:
For more information, please read the provisions of the General Outline of Rights and Responsibilities.
Further information on PhD you will find here: Doctoral programs at UZH
You will be supervised by Dr. Alice Hertzog, incoming Professor for Social and Cultural Anthropology and Director of the Ethnographic Museum.
You will be affiliated with the Ethnographic Museum within the Department of Social Anthropology and Cultural Studies (ISEK) and work towards acquiring a doctorate in Social and Cultural Anthropology.
- Read and engage in social theory and ethnography in relation to museums, cultural heritage and restitution.
- Design and conduct fieldwork both in Switzerland and in the place of origin of the collections in question.
- Participate in the various research offers within the department including the Social Anthropology Colloquium Series and doctoral training.
- Present your work at international workshops and conferences.
- Write a PhD dissertation in Social and Cultural Anthropology.
- Teaching two classes per year (2 SWS per semester).
- Coordination of literature acquisition in the relevant area of specialization is expected.
- Supporting the chair in academic, museum and administrative tasks.
- Participation in University committees and commissions.
For more information, please read the provisions of the General Outline of Rights and Responsibilities.
Further information on PhD you will find here: Doctoral programs at UZH
You will be supervised by Dr. Alice Hertzog, incoming Professor for Social and Cultural Anthropology and Director of the Ethnographic Museum.
You will be affiliated with the Ethnographic Museum within the Department of Social Anthropology and Cultural Studies (ISEK) and work towards acquiring a doctorate in Social and Cultural Anthropology.
Your profile
We are looking for a highly motivated candidate who:
Applicants do not have to speak German as the study programs are partly in English. But we expect people who work with us for a longer period of time to learn German to a certain degree.
- is graduating or has recently graduated with excellent results on a research-based MA thesis in Social Anthropology or a related discipline;
- is motivated to conduct immersive, multi-sited ethnographic field research both in Switzerland and potentially West Africa with a wide range of interlocuters;
- has knowledge of and interest in theoretical, ethnographic and social science literature relevant to museums, cultural heritage and restitution;
- has excellent written and spoken English language skills, German and French also desirable;
- is open to methodological diversity, including visual anthropology and provenance research;
- will work collaboratively with the museum team in view of collaborative dissemination of research findings in exhibition and outreach formats.
Applicants do not have to speak German as the study programs are partly in English. But we expect people who work with us for a longer period of time to learn German to a certain degree.
Information on your application
We look forward to receiving your application. Please enclose the following documents as PDFs:- Motivation letter, stating clearly why you are interested in this project and pursuing a PhD in anthropology at UZH (2 pages max) – as one PDF under the button «Letter of application»
- Curriculum Vitae including names and contact details of two referees (2 pages max) & copies of your academic degrees – as one PDF under the button «Curriculum Vitae»
- A short teaching concept listing two ethnographic monographs you would be interested in teaching and how you would teach them (1 page max) – as one PDF under the button «Employer references»
- An electronic copy of your MA Thesis – as one PDF under the button «Further documents»
Please upload your electronic application by midnight May 15th 2025.
Interviews will be held on the following dates:
22 May PM
23 May all day
26 May AM
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Dr. Alice Hertzog Incoming Professor for Social and Cultural Anthropology and Director of the Ethnographic Museum
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Working at UZH
The University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest university, offers a range of attractive positions in various subject areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and currently 12 professional apprenticeship streams the University offers an inspiring working environment on cutting-edge research and top-class education. Put your talent and skills to work with us. Find out more about UZH as an employer!
More → https://www.uzh.ch/cmsssl/en/explore/work.html
Please apply via our job portal www.jobs.uzh.ch.
The University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest university, offers a range of attractive positions in various subject areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and currently 12 professional apprenticeship streams the University offers an inspiring working environment on cutting-edge research and top-class education. Put your talent and skills to work with us. Find out more about UZH as an employer!
More → https://www.uzh.ch/cmsssl/en/explore/work.html
Please apply via our job portal www.jobs.uzh.ch.
Working at UZH
The University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest university, offers a range of attractive positions in various subject areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and currently 12 professional apprenticeship streams the University offers an inspiring working environment on cutting-edge research and top-class education. Put your talent and skills to work with us. Find out more about UZH as an employer!
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