Complex sentence: In the years from 1996 to 1998, he was a research assistant for an Applied Media course at the TU Ilmenau followed by a position as a research assistant in the area of Media studies at the University of Jena.
Split into simpler sentences: In the years from 1996 to 1998 he was a research assistant for an Applied Media course at the TU Ilmenau. Since 1998, he was a research assistant in the area of Media studies at the University of Jena.