Organisation
The Netherlands School for Advanced Studies in Theology and Religion (NOSTER) is the main platform for research and training in the fields of theology and religious studies in the Netherlands and Flanders. Twelve research institutes in these fields have joined forces and provide a national research context and training programme for about 300 senior researchers, 200 PhD candidates and 75 ReMA students.
Academic Mission
NOSTER offers a cutting-edge and challenging curriculum in theology and religious studies for junior researchers (ReMA students and PhD candidates), building upon and complementing what the graduate schools of their home institutions have on offer. The programme has three major objectives:
A) Advanced understanding: providing further training in the skills and techniques of the sub-disciplines in which participants usually operate;
B) Broadening your horizon: familiarising junior researchers with various forms of research and research methodology, offering a wide variety of perspectives from both theology and religious studies;
C) Community building: contributing to the formation of a national academic community in the field of theology and religious studies by stimulating interaction and exchange between junior and senior researchers, sensitising them to innovative disciplinary and interdisciplinary developments and developing theoretical and methodological alternatives.
In addition, NOSTER stimulates new initiatives and explorations in research and provides a national platform for fostering communication between the participating institutes to engage in short- and long-term research collaboration.
Participating Institutions
The following institutions participate in NOSTER:
- Evangelical Theological Faculty, Leuven, BE
- Leiden University (Faculty of Humanities)
- Protestant Theological University, Amsterdam/Groningen
- Radboud University (Faculty of Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies), Nijmegen
- Theological University Apeldoorn
- Theological University Utrecht
- Tilburg University (Tilburg School of Catholic Theology & Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences)
- University of Amsterdam (Faculty of Humanities)
- University of Groningen (Faculty of Religion, Culture and Society)
- University of Humanistic Studies, Utrecht
- Utrecht University (Faculty of Humanities)
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (Faculty of Religion and Theology)
Associate Partner of RESILIENCE
NOSTER is an associate partner of RESILIENCE, a European research infrastructure for religious studies.
Vegetarian Default Policy
NOSTER is proud to support #DefaultVeg. All our meetings and events ensure that catering is vegetarian by default. This action saves not only the lives of farmed animals but also significantly reduces the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by NOSTER’s activities throughout the year. For further information, please see DefaultVeg and CreatureKind.