PLEASE NOTE that this Visiting Fellowship is offered biennially (once in 2 years).
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS FOR 2025-26 (starting October 2025)
The South Asia Centre at the London School of Economics & Political Science, in collaboration with the Charles Wallace Pakistan Trust and the British Council in Pakistan, invites applications for short-term, post-doctoral research for a maximum period of 8 weeks, to be spent as a Post-Doctoral Visiting Fellow at the South Asia Centre, London School of Economics & Political Science, London. The Fellowship will include a monthly stipend of £1,500, and a contribution of £800 towards other costs (including visa fees and air fare) paid by the Charles Wallace Pakistan Trust.
There will be one Post-Doctoral Visiting Fellowship available in each academic year (15 September-10 June). The actual dates of the Visitorship will be decided according to the convenience of the selected candidate and the South Asia Centre.
SUBMISSION PROCEDURE & DEADLINE
The completed Application (with supporting documents) must be submitted together VIA E-MAIL ONLY, addressed to Dr Nilanjan Sarkar, Deputy Director, South Asia Centre at southasiacentre@lse.ac.uk. The DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION of completed applications with all supporting documents (as mentioned below) for the academic year 2025-26 is 1700 hrs UK time on 30 June 2025. Applications must be received in the LSE e-mail's Inbox by this deadline. Applicants should note that any applications received after this deadline will not be considered for the academic year 2025-26.
The Committee will consider the timer of LSE's official e-mail as final.
Please DO NOT send applications by post.
ELIGIBILITY
Applicants to the Visiting Fellowship must
1. Be a citizen of Pakistan and be resident in Pakistan at the time of submitting the application;
2. Possess a valid passport/travel document. [Please visit the UK in Pakistan website (see 'Coming to the UK') for details of documents required to obtain a UK visa.]
3. Have been awarded a PhD focussing on any aspect of Pakistan studies from a nationally recognised university anywhere in the world;
4. Be aged between 30-50 years on 30 June 2025.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Applications are welcome in any subject in the social sciences (Arts & Humanities). LSE has 28 academic/disciplinary departments & institutes, and several research centres & groups. The following supporting documents are required, in addition to the completed application Form:
1. A Research Proposal outlining the research to be conducted during the Visiting Fellowship in London. The proposal should include a title, details of the project, materials to be consulted in libraries in the United Kingdom, and expected outcomes. Preference will be given to proposals that are interdisciplinary, and projects that look at Pakistan in relation to its neighbouring countries in South Asia are also welcome. The proposal should be typed in 1.5 line space, and should not be longer than three A4-sized sheets.
2. A completed Visitor Application Form (please ensure that you have answered all questions).
3. An updated Curriculum Vitae.
4. PDF of one published article or one chapter from PhD dissertation.
5. A copy of the applicant’s Passport detailing full name and date of birth.
SELECTION PROCEDURE
All applications will be received by the South Asia Centre at LSE. A long list will be prepared from amongst applications received by the deadline that meet the criteria, from which a short list will be selected by a Committee of experts. One candidate will be chosen for the Fellowship in each academic year. The Director and/or Deputy Director of the South Asia Centre will be involved in all stages of the selection procedure.
VISA
The selected candidate will be issued a formal letter from LSE which should be used to obtain the relevant visa for a research visit to the United Kingdom. All candidates must leave the United Kingdom at the end of their Visitorship.
ACCOMMODATION IN LONDON/UK
Please note that neither the Charles Wallace Trust nor the London School of Economics & Political Science is able to advise on accommodation matters in the United Kingdom. Selected candidates must confirm their accommodation prior to their arrival in the UK.
QUERIES
For queries regarding further details of the Fellowship and payment of stipend, please e-mail Mr Tim Butchard, Secretary, Charles Wallace Pakistan Trust at timbutchard@wallace-trusts.org.uk
For queries regarding the application and facilities at LSE, please e-mail Dr Nilanjan Sarkar, Deputy Director, South Asia Centre at southasiacentre@lse.ac.uk
FURTHER INFORMATION
For more information about the South Asia Centre, please visit http://www.lse.ac.uk/south-asia-centre
For more information about the Charles Wallace Pakistan Trust, please visit http://www.wallace-trusts.org.uk/cwt_pakistan.html