28 Apr 2014

Neue Galerie Luzern – Swiss Academic Association: Ph.D. Research Programme in the Arts and the Humanities

The Neue Galerie Luzern – Swiss Academic Association (NGL – SAA) together with the Planetary Collegium, University of Plymouth, UK, has created a new PhD Programme. NGL – SAA is an academic association and network founded and initiated by the Neue Galerie Luzern. With three people currently on the Board (Dr. René Stettler; Simon Berther, Founder of the Museum St. Moritz; Dr. rer. nat. Ulrich Claessen, Director Research & Development, Maxon Motor AG, a Swiss-based leading provider of precision drives such as those that drive NASA's 2004 Mars Exploration Rovers), the NGL – SAA realises cultural, scientific and future-oriented projects. NGL – SAA is a qualified tax-exempt organisation according to Swiss law.

Embedded in the quality of the educational work achieved by the Planetary Collegium, University of Plymouth, and the objective to promote knowledge of and deep engagement with all aspects of the arts, society and culture, the PhD Programme attracts scholars from these different fields of cultural practice:

o Curators, art educators, artists, scientists, cultural activists, cultural intermediaries, change agents, designers, and policy-makers in an international context.

o Cultural workers who work as academic experts in science and governance and related areas of philosophy, sociology, geography, cartography, policy analysis and law, as well as stakeholders from the public cultural sector or art and media institutions.

o Artists and mediators who are directly involved in composing, designing, imagining, interpreting, or manipulating signs and symbols in order to create music, television programmes, films, art, clothing, graphic designs, images, and other forms of texts.

o Researchers in the arts and social sciences, cultural practitioners from public, profit-oriented or non-profit cultural institutions, networks, galleries, museums and theatres, the performing arts, architecture, and educational institutions.

o Researchers who are interested in the production, spatialisation and dissemination of knowledge which includes ecological, ethical as well as practical philosophical approaches to the risks and opportunities that science and technology entail.

There are currently 57 part-time MPhil/PhD students enrolled with the Planetary Collegium and Plymouth University. 34 students have received a PhD from the University of Plymouth with the Planetary Collegium since its inception in 1994. The NGL-Node practises a style of research that relies on dialogue and discussion. Your knowledge that you bring into the PhD Programme will be refined in 9 Composite Sessions of 10 days each over three years on Mt. Rigi near Lucerne and in St. Moritz.

Advisory Board

Dr. Mark Banks, The Open University, Milton Keynes
Dr. Bob Bishop, President and Founder, ICES Foundation, Geneva
Dr. Fritjof Capra, Center for Ecoliteracy, Berkeley
Stuart Hameroff, M.D., Center for Consciousness Studies, University of Arizona
John Horgan, Center for Science Writings at Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken
Prof. Dr. Christina Ljungberg, University of Zurich
Dr. Angela McRobbie, Goldsmiths College, University of London
Dr. Uli Sigg, Sigg Collection, Switzerland
Margaret Wertheim, Institute For Figuring, Los Angeles

Admission Policy

Applicants eligible for admission to the Programme meet the following requirements stipulated in the Planetary Collegium's regulations:

• mid-career artists, educators, cultural intermediaries and scientists whose work and curriculum have a distinctive, transdisciplinary inquiry-based focus
• relevant professional and research experience
• an articulate personal statement
• the ability to submit a written thesis proposal demonstrating the capability of undertaking scientific research
• excellent skills in the English language (written and oral)

Supervision
Prof. Dr. Christina Ljungberg and Dr. René Stettler conduct the yearly three Composite Sessions.

Information and Contact
www.neugalu.ch/phd_programme.html

Prof. Dr. Christina Ljungberg or Dr. René Stettler will be happy to have a conversation with you via skype prior to application.

Partners
University of Plymouth, UK; Planetary Collegium, UK