The disciplinary training programmes of PhD-candidates are organized in national research schools, which organize PhD courses at the national level, thus pooling the available resources in an efficient manner.
The Faculty of Humanities of the University of Amsterdam has assumed responsibility for the management of four of these national schools: the Netherlands Graduate School of Linguistics (LOT), the Netherlands Institute for Cultural Analysis (NICA), the Research School in Media Studies, and the Dutch Postgraduate School for Art History (OSK). Ten further national research schools are hosted by other universities.
Landelijke Onderzoekschool Taalwetenschap
LOT is the acronym of ‘Landelijke Onderzoekschool Taalwetenschap’ and unites 400 faculty members and 150 PhD students, and 150 Research Master students.
NICA is the Dutch national research school in cultural analysis, studies and theory; generally, in interdisciplinary and theoretical humanities research. The school offers graduate courses for Research Master’s students and PhD researchers, and serves as a professional network for affiliated scholars. Presently based at the University of Amsterdam, the school welcomes the participation of scholars and students of all Dutch universities. For more information, please see link below.
The Research School for Media Studies RMeS (read Hermes) is a new national research school that is committed to supporting research and graduate education in the field of media studies.
Dutch Postgraduate School for Art History
The OSK is a national organization, founded in 1995, which connects several important institutes in the field of art and architectural historical research in the Netherlands.
Aside from the four national research schools, of which the Faculty of Humanities is secretary, the DLG also recognises the following national research schools:
In October 2010 the Decanenoverleg Letteren en Geschiedenis (DLG, the partnership of the Deans of Faculties of Arts and Humanities of the Dutch Universities) and the network partnership of national research schools in the humanities (Logos) reached an agreement about the organisation and financing of the national research schools as of January 2011. This agreement can be downloaded via the link below (in Dutch).