The research programme offers a unique opening for advanced international students who ultimately aim for a Leiden PhD degree in the fields of Colonial & Global History or Archival & Postcolonial Studies. PhD projects will primarily be based on the study of more than 20 kilometres of Dutch archival materials (mainly in The Netherlands, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka and South Africa). As such, this program builds on the experience of its predecessors TANAP (2000-2007), ENCOMPASS (2006-2012) and COSMOPOLIS (2012-2017), which have trained students from all over the world in the use of the Dutch archives for Colonial and Global History.

The still underexplored Dutch historical archives contain a wealth of detailed information on the history of countries surrounding the Indian Ocean and the Chinese Seas. Despite the fact that more and more of these resources are becoming digitally available, few scholars possess the language, archival, and historical skills to explore these resources. This is particularly true for the  early modern era (1600-1800) as covered by the activities of the Dutch East India Company, the Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC). Cosmopolis Advanced provides the one and only international centre for training such skills.

Cosmoplis Advanced consists of an 18-month Advanced MA program, followed by a 42-month PhD program. For more information, see here. The program starts with an intensive Dutch language course.