Comparative Research on European Representations of India: Museums, Collections, and the Production of Institutional Knowledge
As India and Europe are becoming increasingly important to one another as economic, political, and strategic partners, sensitive issues arise in their encounters. It is therefore crucial to understand how Europeans have represented India, how these representations were produced, and how they continue to shape scholarly, institutional, and public understandings in the present.
The ESIND Training Schools examine the development of Europe’s representations of India and their impact on encounters between the two regions, using the expertise of experienced ESIND members and invited scholars. Training School III will focus specifically on museums, collections, exhibitions, archives, catalogues, curatorial practices, and related forms of cultural mediation as sites in which institutional knowledge about India has been produced and stabilised across Europe. More details about the research focus of Training School III can be found here.
Although the Training Schools are conceived mainly as a forum for exchanges between the project’s Working Groups, with particular focus on Young Researchers and Innovators, we also welcome applications from other PhD students, advanced MA students, and Early Career Investigators working on relevant topics. For more practical information about the Training School, and how to apply, see further below.
Dates: 7–9 July 2026
Recommended arrival: 6 July 2026
Recommended departure: 9 July 2026 in the evening or 10 July 2026 in the morning, subject to travel practicality and COST rules.
Venue:
UiT The Arctic University of Norway
Tromsø, Norway
Important notes
Participants can be reimbursed according to current COST rules. Please consult the Annotated Rules for COST Actions. If you are selected for financing from ESIND, your travel and daily allowance will be covered according to those rules. (COST) The amount of reimbursement for individual participants depends on their arrival and departure dates, but the total amount of daily allowance cannot exceed 528 euro and the average transportation costs are expected to be 400 euro. Participants will have to arrange travel by themselves. Further practical information regarding accommodation and local logistics will be provided to selected participants in due course.
Please note that expenses are reimbursed only after completion of the Training School and submission of all required documents through the relevant COST procedures.
Participants in the Training School will receive a certificate of attendance.
Registration and selection process
Who can apply?
Applications are welcome from researchers whose work is relevant to the aims of ESIND and to the specific focus of this Training School.
The call is open in particular to:
- advanced MA students
- PhD students
- Early Career Investigators, meaning researchers within 8 years of obtaining their PhD/doctorate (full-time equivalent)
The Training School will be especially relevant to applicants working in fields such as South Asian studies, anthropology, history, museum studies, heritage studies, art history, religious studies, visual culture, cultural studies, and related areas.
Eligibility for participation and reimbursement depends on the applicant’s country and institutional affiliation under current COST rules. Applicants are strongly advised to consult the official COST pages:
Advanced MA students should note that COST eligibility is linked to enrolment in a research-performing study programme; applicants should verify their status through the official COST guidance. (COST)
Selection criteria
Applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
- relevance of the applicant’s studies and research experience to the topics of the COST Action ESIND and to the research focus of the Training School
- quality and clarity of the research project description and motivation statement
- preference for Young Researchers and Innovators, in line with COST priorities
- preference for Early Career Investigators
- preference for applicants from COST Inclusiveness Target Countries, as defined in the current Country and Organisations Table
- preference for applicants already involved in the ESIND Working Groups, especially Young Researchers and Innovators
- balance in the background of the selected participants, including disciplinary background, gender, country, and institutional spread
For COST purposes, a Young Researcher or Innovator is a researcher or innovator under the age of 40. (COST)
How to apply?
STEP 1
Fill in the online application form by 15 May 2026:
https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/rpw940y1S3
Be prepared to upload in the application form:
- CV (maximum 2 pages)
- project description and motivation statement (maximum 2 pages), including:
- a brief description of your current MA / PhD / post-doctoral research project
- a short explanation of how your research relates to the theme of the Training School
- a short explanation of how your research connects to the broader concerns of ESIND
STEP 2
You will receive the confirmation email by 22 May 2026.
Selected participants must then:
- sign up on the e-COST platform
- accept or decline the invitation by 1 June 2026
STEP 3
We strongly suggest that you plan your trip carefully in order to arrive in Tromsø by 6 July 2026 at the latest. Otherwise, you may have difficulties checking in, orienting yourself locally, and attending the opening of the Training School in time.
During the Training School, please make sure that you sign the attendance list for each individual day. Your expenses cannot be reimbursed for days when you are not signed in.
Fill in the reimbursement claim in e-COST no later than 23 July 2026. (e-COST)
