Research
PhD candidates: working on cultural heritage? Join this Una Europa winter school
PhD candidates working in cultural heritage are invited to join next year’s Una Europa Winter School under the theme, 'Rethinking Cultural Heritage Collections: Complex Histories and New Methodologies'.
Apply by 15 September to join this interdisciplinary programme – including seminars, field trips and collaborative workshops – from 22-26 February 2027 at Freie Universität Berlin.
During the winter school, you will:
- Exchange ideas with your peers and discuss your research with experts in archaeology, digital humanities, history, museology, natural history, library science, literary studies, and related fields.
- Examine the histories of classification, reclassification, ordering, and reordering of cultural heritage collections (including digital practices) starting with Berlin’s unique experience of relocated, recontextualised, and reinterpreted collections.
- Learn about current research and practical digital methods: for example, manuscript studies using Handwritten Text Recognition (HTR), or digital approaches in archaeology.
- Take field trips to Berlin’s Humboldt Forum, the Museum of Natural History, and the Berlin State Library (Staatsbibliothek), among other places.
How can I find out more?
A detailed description of the programme is available on the Una Europa website.
For questions related to the content of the Winter School, please email Hauke Ziemssen: hauke.ziemssen@fu-berlin.de.
What does it cost?
There is no tuition fee. Participants are expected to organize and finance their own travel and accommodation costs.
Leiden University applicants should first check whether their faculty, department, or institute can cover the costs associated with participation. Many faculties and departments have funding schemes available for these purposes.
If faculty or department funding is not available, a limited number of travel grants may be available via our local Una Europa team. Further information about potential support will be shared with applicants once their nomination to participate has been confirmed.
You are welcome to apply while exploring funding options. Due to the expected number of applications, our local Una Europa team is unable to respond to individual funding enquiries before the selection process has been completed.
How do I apply?
Next, complete this online form by 23:59 CEST on 15 September 2026. You will need to upload a 1-2 page curriculum vitae (CV) in PDF format, a letter of motivation and an abstract outlining your doctoral thesis.
This Winter School was created as part of the educational and research activities of Una Europa’s Focus Area in Cultural Heritage.
About Leiden University and Una Europa
Leiden University is part of Una Europa, an alliance of eleven leading European research universities. The alliance provides all students and employees at Leiden University with international opportunities for collaboration and development. Learn more on the Una Europa website and subscribe to our newsletter.