PhD Position Cultural work and activism

Introduction

The Erasmus School of History, Culture, and Communication (ESHCC) at Erasmus University Rotterdam is excited to offer a challenging and innovative PhD position in the Culture and Creative Industries, with a specific focus on Cultural work and activism at a time of political and ecological crises.

The PhD project will be part of a wider research agenda on activism and creative work that seeks to explore how artists and cultural workers intervene into current political debates and social struggles to address inequalities in and beyond the cultural industries. In view of sharpening social, economic and ecological crises and authoritarian politics around the world, the project will empirically investigate the role of arts and cultural production for local and/or transnational social movement building to examine the nature, organisation and effectiveness of activism in the creative industries.

The project will develop both methodological and theoretical contributions to current sociological scholarship on the role of the cultural industries, and of creative work specifically, for broader processes of social and political transformations. We especially appreciate applications from candidates with prior research experience in sociology - including a robust command of social science methods (e.g. ethnography, interviewing, policy/discourse analysis) and thorough theoretical expertise in cultural sociology, the sociology of work and/or social movements - and those with a clear interest in de- and postcolonial frameworks.

While the exact topic, approach and empirical focus of the project will be developed in line with the candidate’s academic interests and experiences, we particularly welcome research proposals that decenter Eurocentric perspectives through studying the relationships between culture and activism in e.g. the Middle East, Latin America or South Asia.

Beyond developing publications in leading peer-reviewed journals, the PhD candidate will enhance ESHCC’s research strategy on (in)equality, work and sustainability in the creative sector and the role of the cultural industries for social change. To that end, the candidate will closely collaborate with ERMeCHS’s established research clusters, such as ‘Global Futures, Colonial Pasts’, ‘Sustainable Transitions in Culture & Societies’ or ‘Popular Culture and Inequalities’.

Job description

The successful candidate will be based at the Department of Arts and Culture Studies of the ESHCC and will carry out the following tasks:  

Research (0.85 fte) 

• Conducting PhD research. 

• Publishing and presenting research results in the form of articles in international peer reviewed journals and papers at international conferences. 

• Writing a dissertation within the appointment duration of four years. 

• Taking part in seminars, workshops etc. that are organized by the Erasmus Research Institute for Media, Culture, History and Society (ERMeCHS) as well as the Department of Arts and Culture Studies. 

Teaching (0.15 fte) 
Performing junior teaching tasks in the BA degree programmes in the field Arts and Culture provided by ESHCC, primarily through tutorial group teaching in the International Bachelor of Arts and Culture Studies (IBACS). 

Service 
Contributing to small management tasks of the department.

Job requirements

To be eligible, a candidate must have:

• A (research) master’s degree or equivalent with a relevant specialization within the social sciences or humanities such as sociology, cultural or media studies, social geography or social anthropology. A research master’s degree is preferred;
• Familiarity with and keen interest in social science research methods (qualitative, quantitative or mixed-methods);
• Independent thinking and critical analytical skills;
• Good collaboration skills and an ability to join interdisciplinary and intercultural academic communities;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English (CEFR C1);
• The ability to carry out high level research and publish in renowned peer reviewed international journals.

Employment conditions and benefits

We offer you an internationally oriented and varied job in an enthusiastic team, with excellent working conditions in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU).

The start date of this position is between 1 November 2025 and 1 January 2026 and you will be based at the Department of Arts and Culture Studies in Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication (ESHCC). This position is for 1 fte. The salary ranges from a minimum of € 2.901 to a maximum of € 3.707 gross per month Scale PhD on a fulltime basis (38 hours), in accordance with the CAO-NU. We offer a 1,5-year position which will be extended to 4 years based on performance.

Everything else we offer you, you can find below!

-        Everything you need for a good work-life balance: the option to work from home in consultation with your manager, 41 days of paid leave with a 40 hour contract, 8% holiday pay and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus, and a significant discount on a subscription for our on-campus sports centre!

-        Sustainable, inclusive and diverse work environment with an open culture, where you can be yourself and we pay attention to each other and to the world around us. Make the most of our bicycle budget, or join networks such as Young@EUR, FAME or QuEUR.

-        Time and space for your development in the broadest sense: development days and a personal career budget and free access to our university library.

-        Good pension with ABP that EUR contributes 2/3rds towards, discounts on various collective insurances with Zilveren Kruis Achmea, Loyalis, and Allianz, and compensation for travel, working from home and home internet use.

-        Are you currently combining your job with parenthood, or do you want to do so in the future? EUR offers partially paid parental leave and fully paid additional birth leave for partners, and our campus features a daycare (daycare not paid for by EUR).

-        Moving to the Netherlands for your job with EUR? Then you may be eligible for the 30%-ruling if you meet the requirements of the Belastingdienst (Dutch tax agency), and with our Dual Career Programme we will also help your partner find the right job for them.

Employer

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) is an internationally oriented university with a strong social orientation in its education and research, as expressed in our mission ‘Creating positive societal impact’. EUR is home to 4.100 academics and professionals and almost 33.000 students from more than 140 countries. Everything we do, we do under the credo The Erasmian Way – Making Minds Matter. We’re global citizens, connecting, entrepreneurial, open-minded, and socially involved. These Erasmian Values function as our internal compass and create EUR’s distinctive and recognizable profile. From these values, with a broad perspective and with an eye for diversity, different backgrounds and opinions, our employees work closely together to solve societal challenges from the dynamic and cosmopolitan city of Rotterdam. Thanks to the high quality and positive societal impact of our research and education, EUR can compete with the top European universities. www.eur.nl.

Faculty / Institute / Central service

The Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication (ESHCC) is part of Erasmus University Rotterdam. The school has three departments: History, Arts and Culture and Media & Communication. There are approximately 2500 students and 220 employees.

ESHCC offers high quality education, based on scientific research, at the intersection of the Humanities and Social Sciences. We teach our ambitious, Dutch and international students in a stimulating learning environment. After graduation, they will have acquired the knowledge, insight and skills to make an important and inspiring contribution to an increasingly international society in which diversity plays a major role.

The ESHCC also has an ambitious research agenda. We want to strengthen our involvement in multidisciplinary research, expand the share of external funding in our total research funding and increase our social impact. ESHCC recently launched their faculty-wide research institute, the Erasmus Institute for Media, Culture, History and Society (ERMeCHS).

Additional information

About Erasmus University Rotterdam  

About Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication  

About Department of Arts and Culture Studies

About ERMeCHS

Additional information about the vacancy can be obtained from dr. Kristina Kolbe via kolbe@eshcc.eur.nl.

Applying

To apply, please submit (1) your motivation letter of max. 1 page, (2) your resume including publication list (if applicable) and the names and contact details of two potential references (no letters of recommendation are required at this stage), (3) a brief (and original/innovative) research project idea of max. 300 words before the end of 15 September 2025. Please mention ‘PhD position cultural work and activism’ as subject.

The selection committee will invite a small number of candidates for an (online) interview. Candidates may be asked to submit a more detailed research plan and/or give a presentation as part of the application procedure.

We look forward to receiving your application.

Persons of all gender identities or expressions, sexual orientations, religions, ethnicities, ages, neurodiversities, functional impairments, citizenships, or any other aspect are welcome to apply and join the EUR community.