The Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies (MPIfG) conducts basic research on the governance of modern societies. It aims to develop an empirically based theory of the social and political foundations of modern economies by investigating the interrelation between social, economic, and political action. Building on the disciplinary traditions of sociology and political science, the Institute’s research program aims to combine and develop the approaches of new economic sociology and comparative and international political economy. We currently have an immediate opportunity for a bachelor’s or master’s student who is enrolled at a university in Germany and interested in working around 8 hours per week as a
Student Assistant to Prof. Dr. Regine Paul
in her research project “A World of Wannabe Leapfrogs? Competitiveness Strategies in the Global Tech Race.” The position is to be filled as of June 1, 2026.
Your role
- Collecting, organizing, and analyzing relevant national strategies, policies, and funding programs for artificial intelligence and related technologies across the globe
- Performing quantitative and qualitative text analysis with MaxQDA
- Providing assistance on related projects
You will have the opportunity to develop your coding and analytical skills in the qualitative data analysis software MaxQDA. Working with the project lead, you will also gain experience in all stages of designing and writing scientific papers, from formulating a research question to searching and structuring existing empirical materials, to analyzing the material and critically discussing the findings.
Your background and skills
- Student on a degree program in political science, sociology, economics, or a comparable discipline
- Familiarity with social science research methods (particularly qualitative policy analysis)
- Strong written and verbal language skills in English (French, Spanish, Hindi, or Portuguese would be an additional asset)
- Excellent knowledge of Excel or similar software to generate a database with searchable categories and filters
- Good knowledge of qualitative data analysis software (MaxQDA or NVivo) (beneficial but not mandatory)
- Very high level of ability to work independently and with attention to detail
What we offer
You will work at a renowned research institute in an international environment, with access to the MPIfG’s data and library resources and the opportunity to participate in Institute events. As part of a fixed-term employment contract (WissZeitVG), we offer remuneration in accordance with the Max Planck Society’s guidelines on support for junior scientists; the current rates are 13.90 euros per hour for bachelor’s students and 14.40 euros per hour for master’s students.
A collaborative and collegial working environment is integral to the MPIfG. Starting from the application process, we are committed to promoting equality of opportunity for all our employees. The compatibility of career and family is one of our key concerns, as is the employment of people with disabilities.
How to apply
Please upload your full application documents (cover letter, CV, copies of diplomas and current proof of enrolment) as a single PDF to our online application portal. We regret that we cannot consider applications by post or email. The closing date for applications is April 17, 2026.
