‘Art and Reconciliation’ — Persistent Illusions: the History Museum of Bosnia and Hercegovina's Role in the Strategic Curation and Memorialisation of Mass Atrocity, and Peacebuilding

Award details

We seek applications for a studentship fully funded by LISS-DTP to undertake a Ph.D with the War Crimes Research Group, King’s College London, in close collaboration with the History Museum of Bosnia and Hercegovina, Sarajevo.

This project will develop an innovative, creative and equitable partnership between the History Museum of Bosnia and Hercegovina in Sarajevo and King’s College London, building on previous AHRC-GCRF and British Academy research projects on Art and Reconciliation.

It is co-designed with the Museum to respond to its need to become a full research institution and to investigate, interpret and catalogue its own previously un- researched archives. The research will produce the first history of the Museum’s contribution to memorialisation of atrocity, integrated with an exploration of its role as a ‘living museum’, in the country and developed through the partnership with King’s, including ‘open call’ commissions, workshops and participatory-community engagement activities.

This groundbreaking new research will allow the autonomous development of research at the Museum, opening the path to further funding opportunities, as well as enhancing research on evaluation methods and approaches to reconciliation, developed in previous partnership projects. Impact is in the proposal’s DNA, benefiting the UK, developed with and supported by FCDO (Deputy Director Strategy) to meet the UK’s ‘primary objective’ in the country. The project benefits the Museum directly, promotes inclusivity and reconciliation, benefiting individuals and communities in Bosnia, in relation to UN SDGs 4, 8, 11, 12 and 16.

The successful applicant will be supervised by Professor James Gow, Professor Rachel Kerr and Ms Elma Hašimbegović, Director of the History Museum of Bosnia and Hercegovina.

Applicants should have a background in ‘social sciences’ broadly cast, likely including one of more of the following: museal and curatorial studies; visual arts and art history; history; memory studies; war crimes and crimes against humanity; peacebuilding; reconciliation; cultural studies; ethnography; politics; area studies (especially concerning the Western Balkans).

The studentship is +3.5, meaning that it is for three years and that candidates will be expected to have gained a good level of research methods training prior to commencing research, although there will be opportunities for further research training and an expectation to take some of these, as appropriate, as part of the studentship to undertake the Ph.D.

Award value

The Studentship covers:

• Stipend: UKRI rate (with London weighting), currently £21,237 per annum (full time basis)
• Tuition fees: Home Fees (students with O/S status may need to be able to make up the difference between Home and Overseas fees, but there is a possibility, not guaranteed, of further support (only to be confirmed after the selection phase is completed)

 

Eligibility criteria

• The candidate will be expected to have knowledge of qualitative research methods and training in some or all of: social theory, qualitative methods, quantitative methods, and research design.
• Some experience of being involved in and undertaking qualitative research, for example as part of a dissertation or thesis, or other project, would be a distinct advantage. The applicant will either possess appropriate Bosnian language skills (operational-fluent level) or show aptitude for and be prepared intensively to acquire those skills.
• The applicant will be expected to have an interest in art and museums and galleries, as well an interest in Bosnian history, society and politics.

Contact:

To find out more about of the studentship and the proposed project please contact either:

• Professor James Gow (james.gow@kcl.ac.uk) or
• Professor Rachel Kerr (rachel.kerr@kcl.ac.uk).

Award conditions

• Students awarded the studentship must also apply and be accepted onto the War Studies PhD programme.
• The doctoral dissertation MUST be submitted within the time frame of the funding.

Application process

For more information, please refer to the following link CASE for applicants.

Applications should be made using the form below and sent to shiftingsecurities@kcl.ac.uk.

Application forms

CASE Application Form_2025 Entry (0.12 MB)

Selection process

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview which will take place on 7 March 2025.