PhD Position: Postcolonial Listening in Switzerland

About the role

The SNSF project "Sounding Out Colonial Innocence", led by Dr. Gilles Aubry, explores the impact of Swiss "colonialism without colonies" on Switzerland's self-image and on the production and perception of sound, developing new perspectives on Swiss sonic culture. It offers a PhD position to develop an individual research project on postcolonial listening in Switzerland.

Key responsibilities

• Carry out research on postcolonial listening in Switzerland under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Michaela Schäuble (University of Bern) and Dr. Gilles Aubry (HKB Bern)
• Use archival, ethnographic and artistic methods, and publish research findings
• Write a doctoral dissertation
• Contribute to the project's public series of sound-art presentations and other knowledge-transfer activities
• Publish results in peer-reviewed academic journals and in the project-related edited volume

Required profile

• Master's degree in Music, Sound Studies, Cultural Studies, Social Sciences or a related discipline
• Admission requirements fulfilled for doctoral studies at the Institute of Social Anthropology, University of Bern
• Interest in postcolonial and decolonial theories and Critical Race Theory applied to the Swiss context; prior knowledge of the local context is welcomed
• Excellent English and very good German, French or Italian, and willingness to work on site in Bern

Required skills

• Experience in sound and music practice and familiarity with relevant research fields are assets
• A reliable, collaborative way of working

Applicants submit a research proposal (max. 3 pages), degree certificates, a writing sample (max. 25 pages) and/or a portfolio of artistic work. Interviews are held on 22 December 2026 in Bern.