Off-University Call for Online Course Proposals
Off-University is inviting proposals for an online course to be taught (in English) on the Off-University online learning platform during the spring term 2021.
The course is conducted in the framework of the research group “Beyond social cohesion: Global repertoires of living together (RePLITO)”[1] which takes marginalized, often neglected or invisible repertoires of living together as its starting point to rethink social cohesion from a transregional perspective. The online course shall address a topic in the broad field of living together in plurality in a 14-weeks (April 2021 – July 2021) MA-level seminar. While there is no limitation with regards to discipline or period/era, the online course shall focus on one of the (or more) regions represented in the research group: Middle East, Europe, Southern and East Africa, Central, Europe, South and Southeast Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as the experiences of diasporic or migrant communities related to these regions. The scholar’s participation in other activities of the research group such as public lecture series and reading groups is also desired.
The selected scholar will receive 1000 € per month for a total of five months as an honorarium for their teaching. Off-University’s online-learning platform offers a virtual classroom including chat options, video livestream, a virtual blackboard, and a shared file management system. Over the last four years, we have hosted a total of 33 interactive online courses, which have all been certified by German and North American universities with recognized credits. ECTS credits can be transferred to the students’ home university after completion. Off-University, however, is open for anybody to join, not only students enrolled at a university.
Application Requirements:
– Being politically (1) persecuted and/or displaced and (2) unemployed and/or in material need
– Ability to teach a self-organized MA-level course in your field of research
– University degree (preferably PhD)
– Instructors are required to act in accordance with the Off-University Code of Conduct, which can be found here
Application Material in English:
1. Two-page-long course outline (14 weeks) or an example of a course taught before on a topic related to the research area of living together in plurality. The outline should describe objectives, planned outcome, requirements and expectations from the students. The workload of the MA-level course is 90 hours.
2. Academic CV with detailed teaching and research experience
3. 2-5 min long video describing the applicant’s approach to interactive online teaching and the research orientation of the proposed course which will be recorded on our online learning platform (for further information, please read the “Application Process” section below)
4. A short statement of persecution and material situation and/or immigration status (max. 500 words)
The interactive online course is to be delivered on MA Level in English to a diverse group of about 25 students with backgrounds in area studies (Middle East, Europe, Southern and East Africa, Central Asia, Europe, South and Southeast Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean), Media or Communication Studies, Islamic Studies, Sociology as well as Cultural or Social Anthropology. Please indicate your experience in teaching an online course and your knowledge on interactive e-learning methods in your application.
Off-University is committed to an academic life connecting teaching and research. It therefore encourages applications for courses that involve the course participants in the instructor’s actual research activity. This can be achieved by, for instance, collective data collection and analysis that involves the participants in an intellectually demanding way, the critical evaluation of the instructor’s draft research papers by the participants, the involvement of participants in future common publications or other ways of knowledge dissemination (blogs, wikis, films, conferences etc.). We offer advice on how to integrate research activities into future courses and provide assistance in further developing teaching activities in this direction.
Applicants of non-cis-male gender and POC are strongly encouraged to apply and will be given priority where qualifications are equal. Applicants with a disability will be given priority where qualifications are equal.
Application Process:
To apply, we kindly ask you to inform us via courses@off-university.de or if you prefer secure communication via a Messaging-App (Signal or WhatsApp: +49 176 233 622 47) that you would like to apply at least one week before the application period ends.
After we hear from you, we will create a personal folder on your name on our platform. You will receive a private message with further instructions on how to upload your application material and how to record your video. Please note, that for reasons of confidentiality all communication will take place via the platform messaging system and not via e-ail. Please make sure to log in periodically to receive information and updates on the application process.
If you have already an account on www.coworkingsquares.de please write a short note to courses@off-university.de or via a Messaging-App. We will create a personal folder there for you.
Applications should be submitted on the platform by January 15th, 2021 midnight (Central European Time). You will be notified by Feburary 15th, 2021 about the outcome of your application.
If you have any questions or need further information, please write to courses@off-university.de.
[1] Beyond social cohesion – global repertoires of living together (RePLITO) is funded by the Berlin University Alliance and lead by Prof. Dr. Schirin Amir-Moazami (FU) and Prof. Dr. Nadja-Christina Schneider (HU). Principal investigators in this project are: Prof. Dr. Kai Kresse (FU), Prof. Dr. Sérgio Costa (FU), Dr. Saskia Schäfer (FU), Prof. Dr. Claudia Derichs and Prof. Dr. Manja Stephan-Emmrich. For further information, please go to: https://www.iaaw.hu-berlin.de/de/querschnitt/medialitaet/forschung/projekte/aktuell/aktuell