PhD Position on the History of the Indonesian Programme of Radio Netherlands Wereldomroep 1945-1965
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Job Location:
Amsterdam - Netherlands
Monthly Salary:
Not Disclosed
Posted on:
21 days ago
Vacancies:
1 Vacancy
Job Summary
Are you interested in radio studies and the shared history of Indonesia and the Netherlands Then we are looking for you. The Amsterdam School of Historical Studies is inviting applications for a position of PhD candidate in the NWO-funded project Distant Voices: Uncovering the Agency of Indonesian Broadcasters at Radio Netherlands Wereldomroep (1945-1965).
Pioneering radio studies
The project Distant Voices pioneers a new methodology in radio studies by analyzing the agency of broadcasters from the Global South in media organizations in the Global North. The PhD candidate will write a thesis on a relevant case study: the history of the Indonesian programme of the Dutch international broadcaster Radio Netherlands Wereldomroep (1945-1965). The projects preliminary outcomes will be discussed within an international network of media historians based in Asia and addition the PhD candidate will contribute to joint activities of the University of Amsterdam and the projects main institutional partner the Netherlands Institute for Sound &Vision.
The PhD candidate will be supervised by Elizabeth Buettner and Vincent Kuitenbrouwer (History Department). The daily supervision is in the hands of Vincent Kuitenbrouwer who is the Project Leader of Distant Voices.
This is what you will be doing
The PhD position aims to answer the projects main research question: what was the role of Indonesians in shaping Radio Netherlands Wereldomroep broadcasts in Bahasa Indonesia between 1945 and 1965 The research for the thesis (written in English) will be based on a preselected set of digitized documents in Bahasa Indonesia and Dutch: the logbooks of the Indonesian programme of RNW containing transcripts and addition the PhD candidate will have access to relevant collections of the Netherlands Institute for Sound &Vision.
The PhD candidate is expected to fulfill the following tasks:
- submission of a PhD thesis within the period of appointment;
- presenting intermediate research results at workshops and conferences;
- participating in the Research School and Faculty of Humanities PhD training programmes.
- co-organising knowledge dissemination activities;
- participating in meetings of the project research group in the Netherlands and Indonesia;
- (co-)teaching courses at BA-level in the second and third year of the appointment (maximum 02 fte per year).
This is what we ask of you
- a completed Masters degree in History Media Studies or a related discipline;
- excellent research skills demonstrated by a Master thesis;
- the ability to independently formulate research questions combined with a clear and convincing style of writing
- good command of Bahasa Indonesia Dutch and English;
- a strong cooperative attitude and willingness to engage in collaborative research.
Please note that if you already hold a doctorate/PhD or are working towards obtaining a similar degree elsewhere you will not be admitted to a doctoral programme at the UvA.
This is what we offer you
- We offer a temporary employment contract for the period of 48 months. The first contract will be for 16 months with an extension for the following 32 months contingent on a positive performance evaluation within the first 12 months. The preferred starting date is 1 May 2026.
- PhD candidates receive a tuition fee waiver;
- PhD candidates have free access to courses offered by theGraduate School of Humanities and the Dutch National Research Schools;
- Excellent possibilities for further professional development and educations;
- An inspiring academic and international work environment in the heart of Amsterdam;
- An enthusiastic and professional academic team.
This is where you will be working
The Amsterdam School of Historical Studies (ASH) represents and fosters the study of the human past from Antiquity to the present day. It brings together more than 200 academics from Amsterdams Faculty of Humanities. ASH does not limit itself to a particular period area or method but integrates a variety of (inter)disciplinary perspectives including history literature and media studies.
For questions about the position or department you can contact us during office hours at:
- Vincent Kuitenbrouwer Senior Lecturer History Department/Project Leader Distant Voices
If you recognize yourself in the profile and are interested in the position we look forward to receiving your application. We ask the following documents:
- Motivation letter
- CV
- A short research statement on the PhD project including a reflection on academic relevance and a provisional four-year work plan (maximum 2 pages)
- MA certificate and gradelist
- Contact information of two people who could act as reference
Please send these documents as a single PDF file.
The vacancy closes on. The interviews will take place in the last week of January 2026.
Key Skills
- Photography
- Color Correction
- Shot List
- Adobe Photoshop
- Photo Shoots
- Youtube
- Camera Movement
- Cinematography
- Audio Equipment
- B-roll
- Camera Operation
- Final Cut Pro
- Digital Media
- Video production
- Web Series
