Testimonials

"Through an introductory course and a smaller masterclass, furthermore, I soon developed an interest in cultural memory studies. The masterclass led to a rewarding research internship in my second year, during which I wrote an academic article with my daily supervisor, gained hands-on experience in a large research project, and improved my editing skills. It also made my me realize that maybe an academic career was something for me.

What I loved about CLS—and what makes it unique—is how it encourages students to find their own niche, even if unconventional, or seemingly far removed from the traditional study of books. For me, this meant writing a master’s thesis on cultural memory and protest songs—an area I hadn’t imagined exploring when I first started. Now, I’m pursuing a PhD at Utrecht University under the guidance of one of my former professors. My research focuses on memory and heritage in cultural appropriation debates, particularly in contested reproductions of African American songs and poetry. This path would not have been possible without the support and guidance I received from the devoted teachers in the CLS program, and I am grateful for how it helped me develop my own research focus."

"The programme offers students an intense curriculum of courses, which strikes a delicate balance between arming you with a strong foundation in a diverse set of academic fields and giving you the freedom to explore your own academic interests. My personal journey took me towards the fields of formalism, life writing, ecocriticism, and trans studies, and thanks to the variety of courses on offer from CLS and from the OSL and NICA research schools, I was able to shape my learning experience around the things I am passionate about.

For those looking for a career in academia, the programme is full of opportunities to gain practical experience of all aspects of academic life. Over the course of my degree, I had the chance to work for Humanimalia, a wonderful Utrecht-based academic journal, I joined a research collective, got to organise book launches and conferences, and even got to present and publish my own work. The editing, organising, research and writing experience I've gained in my time here has been invaluable.

What really made the course special for me, however, was the people. CLS has an incredibly devoted and kind teaching staff, and I was blessed to be part of a wonderful and supportive cohort. I am so grateful for the friends and mentors I've met here, and the conversations and connections I've made with them have profoundly shaped me as both a person and an academic.

I am looking to pursue a PhD after I finish this programme. I feel confident that the skills and knowledge I have gained in the Comparative Literary Studies rMA have set me up for success in the field."

"Whereas the programme specifically trains students to become researchers, it also provides a solid ground for jobs outside of academia. In my second year I did a teaching internship at UU and during the entirety of the programme I worked for FRAME Journal of Literary Studies, a student-run journal closely affiliated with the programme, first as an editor and later also as editor-in-chief. Working as a student-assistant for the programme coordinator has additionally taught me a great deal about how universities function institutionally. Whereas these activities have a strong academic focus, they taught me indispensable skills that are also valuable on the non-academic job market. CLS encourages students to think beyond the boundaries of research to help them find meaning in and express the relevance of their personal skills.

After my graduation, I decided to not pursue an academic career and leave academia, at least for the time being. After having done a one-year traineeship at a consulting firm, I now work for the Dutch Research Council (NWO) as an information manager. Although content-wise my work has little to do with CLS’s focus, I do get to contribute to developing and maintaining a healthy Dutch academic landscape, which CLS strongly advocates for. Helping make the processes surrounding subsidising research more transparent and accessible brings me great pleasure. CLS’s all-round exquisite programme has indubitably helped me get into this privileged position."

"Throughout my first year, I developed a specific interest in Trauma theory, Affect theory, Memory studies and Life writing, and I have come to understand that who you are as a researcher can relate to who you are as an individual. A lot of the theories I have been intellectually engaged with have become an important part of the way I think about and interact with the world. The small seminar groups in which the courses are thought have also made it possible to have lively discussions in class and to develop a friendly and close-knit intellectual community within our cohort.

One of the things that makes this rMA special is that it is designed to help you grow from a student into a researcher, and think about how your work feeds into a larger conversation within the academic field you are interested in. As a first-year student, I really enjoyed joining the variety of seminars and lectures, both organised as part of the programme and through the research networks at the university, where academics from Utrecht University and other research institutions present their work. The opportunity to participate in these events gave me an idea of what it is like to be part of an active academic community. I found this extremely valuable, and I learned a lot about how different scholars approach, design and present their work."

"The intense, in-depth training provided by the CLS RMA pushed me to further develop my existing research interests. At the same time, the first year of the programme, with its eclectic mix of courses covering fields such as cultural memory, intermediality, ecocriticism, new materialism, perpetrator studies, animal studies and many others, allowed me to discover new, unexpected interests. Perhaps most importantly, the programme (through courses such as research lab for example) gave me valuable tools to be able to translate my research interests into feasible research projects.

Additionally, we were encouraged to practice sharing our research with others by presenting our work at the conferences organised by the programme itself, but also at events organised by the Faculty of Humanities at UU, by OSL (the national research school for literary studies) or even other universities. In my second year, I also had the opportunity of interning with the Journal of Perpetrator Research. As editorial assistant to the journal, I gained hands-on experience on the day-to-day running of an academic journal and got the chance to develop my editing and publishing skills.

The tools and skills I acquired during my time in Utrecht, together with the dedicated guidance and mentoring of the teachers in the programme, and the constructive exchange with other students in my cohort were of enormous help in the process of applying for PhD positions.

After graduating from the programme, I started a PhD at Radboud University Nijmegen, where I research how gender-based violence is remembered in contemporary Latin American literature. Besides working on my dissertation, I teach some courses in the Spanish Department, regularly present my work at conferences, and organise workshops related to my areas of expertise."