MAKE/SENSE PhD Programme 2026 at Academy of Art and Design Basel FHNW, Switzerland
The MAKE/SENSE PhD Programme 2026 at the Academy of Art and Design Basel FHNW offers practice-based doctoral research opportunities for artists, designers, curators, publishers, and cultural organisers.
Overview
The MAKE/SENSE PhD Programme at the Academy of Art and Design Basel FHNW (HGK Basel) provides an interdisciplinary, practice-based doctoral research environment organized in partnership between Basel and Linz. Hosted by the Critical Media Lab at the Institute Experimental Design and Media Cultures, the programme supports creative professionals investigating complex cultural, technological, institutional, and social questions.
The curriculum combines individual mentoring, joint supervision, monthly colloquia, an annual assembly, and public events across three core research areas:
- Situated Artistic Research: Embodied, affective, and experimental approaches to knowledge production.
- Infrastructural Critique: Examination of institutional, technological, and research infrastructures as sites of power and world-making.
- Critical Media: Practice-based approaches to reading, writing, publishing, and alternative media formats.
Eligibility
- Open to artists, designers, curators, publishers, and cultural organisers pursuing practice-based doctoral research.
- Applicants must hold an MA diploma (equivalent to 120 ECTS) and an MA transcript, alongside a BA diploma and BA transcript.
- Positions are unfunded; candidates must present a realistic financing plan and explore external grants or scholarships.
How to Apply
The selection process begins with a pre-proposal stage requiring the following application documents:
- Motivation Letter: A two-page A4 letter outlining research motivation, two preferred supervisors with rationale, and a PhD financing plan.
- Project Outline: A 2–3 page A4 document (excluding references) detailing the research question, state of the art, relevance, methods, and expected outcomes.
- Curriculum Vitae: Summary of academic and professional background.
- Portfolio: Art, design, curatorial, or writing samples demonstrating previous practice.
- Academic Documents: BA and MA diplomas and transcripts.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to submit a full proposal in a second round.
Deadline
The pre-proposal application deadline is September 27, 2026. Subsequent stages include first-round results in mid-November 2026, full proposal submissions by December 18, 2026, interviews in mid-January 2027, and final notifications at the end of January 2027.