Early-Career Visiting Scholar in Korean Studies (NEST Programme)

The Centre is pleased to invite applications for the second year of NEST (Nordic–Lund Emerging Scholars Teaching Program in Korean Studies), generously supported by the Yang Won Sun Foundation.

The NEST program is designed to help early-career scholars gain teaching experience and networking opportunities in an international academic environment. It aims to support scholars in translating their research into teaching practice while engaging with students and faculty across the Nordic region.

Residency period: A four-week visit between February and early March (exact dates to be agreed with the Centre).

Eligibility: Doctoral candidates in the final stages of their PhD (ABD in North America and Asia; final-year PhD candidates in Europe) and recent PhD graduates (within five years of completion), conducting research on Korea and working broadly in the social sciences (including, but not limited to, anthropology, sociology, political science, international relations, gender studies, and history). Applicants currently enrolled in or graduated from universities worldwide are welcome to apply.

We received many excellent applications last year; if you applied in an earlier cycle, we'd be glad to see your application again.

Expectations during the residency

• Contribute to the MA-level course “Contemporary Japanese and Korean Societies” by designing and leading three sessions:

  1. one class lecture offering a broader overview of their research topic;
  2. one public lecture presenting their ongoing research;
  3. one seminar with in-depth discussion with students.

• Deliver the same public lecture at one Nordic partner university (e.g., Oslo, Helsinki, Turku, Copenhagen, Stockholm) as part of a short visit to expand the scholar’s professional network.
   
• Actively participate in the Centre’s internal research seminars and engage with PhD students and faculty.

Please note when preparing your proposed sessions:

• The course focuses on contemporary Korean and Japanese societies. Applicants working on the modern history of Korea are welcome to apply, but the proposed class should connect clearly to the contemporary period: for example, work on gender relations in colonial Korea should be framed around its present-day implications rather than offered as a stand-alone historical topic.
• The course covers both Korean (North and South) and Japanese societies. Incorporating a Japanese case study alongside your Korean material in your class lecture (the first session listed above, not the public lecture) is considered a strength, though it is not required.

Financial support provided by Lund University

• Round-trip travel between the scholar’s home institution and Lund, as well as travel to one Nordic partner university;
• Accommodation in Lund and in one Nordic city;
• An honorarium for teaching.

Application materials

• Cover letter (2–3 pages) describing your research, reasons for applying, how the program would benefit you, and how you plan to structure your three sessions.
• CV, including nationality (for visa purposes) and the names and contact information of two referees.
• Writing sample related to your current research (to inform your teaching). The sample may be a published article or a chapter from your dissertation, typically 20–40 pages in length.

Please send your application, including all materials listed above, to nest-koreanstudies [at] ace [dot] lu [dot] se (nest-koreanstudies[at]ace[dot]lu[dot]se) by 23:59 CET on 30 September 2026.

Questions about the call may be sent to the same address (nest-koreanstudies [at] ace [dot] lu [dot] se (nest-koreanstudies[at]ace[dot]lu[dot]se)); questions are answered approximately once a week.

Shortlisted candidates may be invited to a short interview before a final decision is made.

This program is generously sponsored by: