ERMeCHS (Erasmus Research institute for Media, Culture, History & Society) is the research institute of the Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication at Erasmus University Rotterdam. ERMeCHS was established in 2023 to unite the research of the Erasmus Research Centre in Media, Communication and Culture (ERMeCC) and History@ Erasmus into one faculty-wide, collaborative research environment. Researchers at ERMeCHS are dedicated to carrying out interdisciplinary research on media, communication, culture, history, arts, and society.
Mission
Our mission is to operate as a centre of excellence for research into the fascinating yet complex relationships between media, culture, history and society. We seek to attract and nurture a diverse, international faculty and student body. Our approach is interdisciplinary, theory-driven and empirical, situated at the crossroads of the social sciences and humanities. By enhancing cross-fertilization between these fields, we aim to advance theories and methods and address major societal challenges at the local, national and international level. We seek to generate meaningful impact for a variety of stakeholders around the world and to foster strong connections between our research and teaching.
Our objectives:
- To lead a cutting-edge interdisciplinary research agenda that contributes to media and communication studies, arts and culture studies, and history, as well as to the EUR strategic goals.
- To contribute to the solution of (new) global societal challenges and to advance research collaborations with academic and societal partners around the world.
- To play an active role in the democratization and dissemination of scientific knowledge through research transparency, stakeholder involvement, societal engagement, and public debate.
Our research vision for 2026-2030
During the previous strategic period, significant progress was made in building a faculty-wide research organization, resulting in the establishment of the ERMeCHS research institute, twelve interdepartmental research clusters, and a fully-fledged Research Office. We have created a flourishing, collaborative research institute with strong expertise and leading research teams in the interrelated fields of media and communication, arts and culture, and history. Between 2021-2025, ERMeCHS observed a significant increase in successful research grant applications. Annual funding increased from €2.8 million in 2021 to €3.7 million in 2025. ERMeCHS researchers have emerged as leading applicants within EUR for Horizon Europe, resulting in multiple successful applications. Moreover, we have extended our interdisciplinary and societal collaborations and increased our research output.
In the coming years, the disciplines represented within ERMeCHS - media and communication studies, arts and culture studies, and history - will continue to evolve in close interaction with rapidly changing societal challenges, including digitalization and AI, sustainability transitions, growing social inequalities and political tensions at both global and local level. Addressing these complex, multi-scalar challenges increasingly requires internationally oriented research that crosses disciplinary boundaries and integrates insights from multiple perspectives and contexts. ERMeCHS therefore sees its interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary character not only as a defining feature of its research profile, but also as a necessary condition for producing high-quality, socially relevant, and impactful research in the years ahead.
Research Strategy
Download the ESHCC Research Strategy 2026-2030 below:
ERMeCHS Management
ERMeCHS is governed by the Research Management Board (RMB), whose roll it is to give solicited or unsolicited advice or make proposals to the vice dean of research on all matters concerning the faculty research.
ERMeCHS Research Seminar
The purpose of the ERMeCHS seminar series is for researchers to showcase their work to their peers in a constructive and supportive environment. Researchers are free to present based on published works, but also early drafts and works in progress. These seminars are an excellent opportunity to solicit feedback and generate discussion. ERMeCHS researchers may also wish to invite outside scholars - including collaborators and co-authors - to present their work. These seminars are typically hybrid events, meaning that both presenters and audiences can join remotely. There is also the possibility to invite other researchers at EUR, as well as other audiences.
ERMeCHS Visiting Professors
Starting in 2022, ERMeCHS introduced an annual Visiting Professor Program, where an accomplished researcher joins us to contribute to our research themes. The ERMeCHS Visiting Professor collaborates on research projects with one or more faculty researchers for a maximum period of three months. Additionally, the Visiting Professor actively participates in faculty-wide research events, including workshops with staff and students, engages in discussions with the ERMeCHS PhD club, and delivers public lectures.
First ERMeCHS Visiting Professor
Prof. dr. Nete Norgaard Kristensen, professor at the Department of Communication, University of Copenhagen (Denmark).
"In the academic year 2022-2023, I had the great privilege of being an ERMeCHS visiting professor. This opportunity not only further strengthened my existing collaborations with the school’s very talented scholars in media, culture, and society. The vibrant, interdisciplinary research environment of the school also stimulated new ideas and connections, and I foresee many opportunities for future collaborations between ERMeCHS and my department, Department of Communication at the University of Copenhagen."
Second ERMeCHS Visiting Professor
Prof. dr. Pierre-Yves Donzé, professor of Business History at the Graduate School of Economics, Osaka University (Japan).
"My stay at ERMeCHS was an excellent opportunity to develop my research on the global business history of fashion. The interdisciplinary approach promoted by this institute encourages exchanges between history and the social sciences, thereby challenging and renewing the way historians work. I look forward to continuing the relationships established in Rotterdam in the years to come."