About the opportunity
The Faculty of Philological and Cultural Studies at the University of Vienna invites applications for a Tenure-Track Professorship in Buddhist Studies. The role focuses on the history of philosophy, religion, and literature of Buddhism, with a strong emphasis on Sanskrit primary sources. The successful candidate will be part of the Department of South Asian, Tibetan and Buddhist Studies, collaborating with Tibetan Studies, South Asian Studies, and the Cluster of Excellence EurAsian Transformations.
Salary and benefits
- Opportunity to obtain a permanent position and eventual promotion to full professor.
- Initial contract as Assistant Professor for six years; permanent contract as Associate Professor following a positive evaluation of a qualification agreement.
- Attractive salary according to the Collective Bargaining Agreement for University Staff (level A2).
- Organisational retirement plan.
- Dynamic research environment with a wide range of research and teaching support services.
- Working conditions in Vienna, a city with a high quality of life.
Who can apply?
- Doctoral degree/PhD.
- Two years of international research experience during or after doctoral studies.
- Outstanding research achievements, excellent publication and funding record, and an international reputation.
- Gender and diversity competence.
- Experience in designing and participating in research projects, ability to lead research groups, and ability to acquire third-party funding.
- Enthusiasm for excellent teaching and supervision at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels.
- Research and teaching focus in one or more areas: history of philosophy, religion, and literature of Buddhist Studies.
- Prominent role of Sanskrit primary sources in research and teaching.
- Command of at least one of the following languages: Pali, Buddhist Chinese, or Classical Tibetan.
- Readiness to cooperate with Tibetan Studies, ancient and modern South Asian Studies, and other relevant disciplines at the University of Vienna.
- Willingness to engage in interdisciplinary work with the Cluster of Excellence EurAsian Transformations.
- Requirement to acquire proficiency in German sufficient for teaching in bachelor's programmes and participating in university committees within three years.
Required documents
- Letter of motivation.
- Academic curriculum vitae including: education and training (PhD Certificate), positions held, career breaks, awards and honors, commissions of trust, cooperation partners, list of acquired third-party funding/inventions/patents, list of most important scientific talks (max 10), teaching and mentoring, and supervision experience.
- List of publications.
- Link to a publicly accessible ORCID record with a complete and current publication list.
- Three key publications as electronic full text versions (PDF, max 30 MB).
- Research statement including: most important research achievements (max 2 pages), planned future research activities (max 4 pages), synopsis of three key publications relevant to the position, and publication strategy.
- Teaching and supervision statement including: teaching and supervision concept (max 2 pages) and teaching evaluations (if available).
When to apply
- Application deadline: 2026-09-15
How to apply
- Submit the application exclusively through the "Apply now" link on the official job portal.
Our Take on This Opportunity
This section reflects Open Opportunities’ own analysis of the opportunity from an applicant’s perspective.
You may be a strong fit if…
- Scholars of Buddhist Studies with a primary research focus on Sanskrit sources.
- Experts in the history of philosophy, religion, or literature who possess additional language skills in Pali, Buddhist Chinese, or Classical Tibetan.
- Academics interested in interdisciplinary collaboration with the Cluster of Excellence EurAsian Transformations.
What should you think carefully about?
- The role requires on-site presence in Vienna, necessitating relocation if not already local.
- German language proficiency must be acquired within three years to support teaching and administrative duties.
- The tenure-track process involves a six-year initial term with a formal qualification agreement evaluation.
How could this fit your current goals and plans?
This position provides a rare, stable environment for a specialist to deepen their research on Buddhist primary sources while engaging with a high-caliber academic community. It is well-suited for a scholar aiming to integrate their work into broader interdisciplinary projects and mentor the next generation of students in a world-class philological faculty.
Our take
Highly recommended for dedicated researchers in Buddhist Studies who are eager to combine rigorous textual analysis with interdisciplinary engagement.
Ready to apply?
Review the opportunity on the official website before applying.
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