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Information on this page includes:

Doctoral supervisors and other colleagues with PhDs.
Current and completed doctoral research projects in the Academy
Research Clusters within the Academy
Cotutelle (joint doctorate) opportunities
Details of online workshop for intending applicants Wednesday 3 June 2026 16:30-19:00 (CEST)
Frequently asked questions sheet
Rules for Doctoral Education at the University of Gothenburg
NEW: We have posted the instruction on how to request recognitions of equivalent learning for those who do not have the Masters' level qualification.
We will post shortly the answers to questions raised by participants in the online briefing session of 3 June,

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1. Colleagues with PhDs, including current supervisors.

By connecting your research proposal to the work of any one or more of these colleagues you can demonstrate a good fit with the research expertise of the academy.

Nick Aikens PhD supervisor in Fine art <nick.aikens@internationaleonline.org>
Joakim Andersson PhD supervisor in Teacher Education <joakim.andersson@hdk.gu.se>
Henric Benesch PhD supervisor in Design <henric.benesch@gu.se>
Erling Björgvinsson PhD supervisor in Design <erling.bjorgvinsson@gu.se>
Tom Cubbin PhD supervisor in Craft <tom.cubbin@hdk.gu.se> Steneby
Kerstin Hamilton (post doc) <kerstin.hamilton@gu.se>
Theodore Harper Davies <theodore.harper-davis@gu.se>
Prof. Tarja Karlsson Häikiö PhD supervisor in Teacher Education
Prof. Jessica Hemmings PhD supervisor in Craft
Prof. Elisabeth Hjorth PhD supervisor in Litterär gestaltning
Daniel Jewesbury PhD supervisor in Fine art
Helena Kraff Design
Cathryn Klasto PhD supervisor in Fine art and Design
Elin Låby Teacher education
Thomas Laurien PhD supervisor in Design
Maddie Leach PhD supervisor in Fine art
Lieselotte van Leeuwen <lieselotte.van.leeuwen@gu.se>
Nina Mangalanayagam PhD supervisor in Photography <nina.mangalanayagam@gu.se>
Prof. Jyoti Mistry PhD supervisor in Fine Art and Film <jyoti.mistry@gu.se>
Gertrud Olsson PhD supervisor in Design <gertrud.olsson@hdk.gu.se>
Nils Olsson PhD supervisor in Litterär gestaltning and Fine Art
Prof. Niclas Östlind PhD supervisor in Photography
Beatrice Persson <beatrice.persson@gu.se>
Prof. Elena Raviola PhD supervisor in Design
Prof Johan Redström PhD supervisor in Design <johan.redstrom@gu.se>
Imri Sandström (post doc) Litterär gestaltning
Åsa Stjerna <asa.stjerna@hdk-valand.gu.se>
Prof. Åsa Ståhl <asa.stahl@gu.se>
Annelies Vaneycken <annelies.vaneycken@hdk.gu.se>
Arne Kjell Vikhagen PhD supervisor in Fine art & Design <arne.vikhagen@akademinvaland.gu.se>
Prof. Mick Wilson PhD supervisor in Fine art <mick.wilson@gu.se>
Tintin Wulia Fine art <tintin.wulia@gu.se>

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2. Current and completed doctoral research projects

HDK-Valand has been providing doctoral level studies since the beginning of the century, and have graduated approximately 60 PhDs since the first completion in 2006 by Kim Jeoung-Ah with "Paper-Composite Porcelain: Characterisation of Material Properties and Workability from a Ceramic Art and Design Perspective." Here is a list of current researchers in the artistic subjects, and below it is a list of recently completed researchers:

Current active PhD Candidates

Angeliki Dimaki–Adolfsen Artistic Practice: Design (due to complete 2026)
Elisabet Yanagisawa Artistic Practice: Design (due to complete 2026)
Hanna af Ekström Artistic Practice: Design
Simon Fagéus Artistic Practice: Design
Natalie Novik Artistic Practice: Design
Ylva Sandgren Artistic Practice: Design
Christina Vildinge Artistic Practice:Design
Mirjana Vukoja (licentiate) Artistic Practice: Design
Anna Dasovic Artistic Practice: Film
Sanskriti Chattopadhyay Artistic Practice: Film
Ewa Cederstam Artistic Practice: Film
Thiago de Paula Souza Artistic Practice: Fine Art
Nkule Mabaso Artistic Practice: Fine Art
Jennifer Hayashida Artistic Practice: Literary Composition

Linda Maria Thompson (Mittuniversitetet) Artistic Practice: Photography
Eva Rocco Kenell Artistic Practice: Film
Seda Yıldız Artistic Practice: Curating
Susanne Ewerlöf Artistic Practice: Curating
Markus Bergström Artistic Practice: Design
Emiliano Battista (VUB Brussels) Artistic Practice: Fine Art
Andris Brinkmanis (NABA Milan) Artistic Practice: Curating
Maria Jaber (NABA Milan) Artistic Practice: Design
Andrea Steves (NABA Milan) Artistic Practice: Fine Art
Ali Karami(NABA Milan) Artistic Practice: Design
Vladislav Shapovalov(NABA Milan) Artistic Practice: Fine Art
Julia Wieger (NABA Milan) Artistic Practice: Fine Art

Completed in the recent years

André Alves, Artistic Practice: Fine art
Eva la Cour Artistic Practice: Film/Fine art
Kerstin Hamilton Artistic Practice: Photography
Helena Hansson Artistic Practice: Design
Emelie Röndahl, Artistic Practice: Craft
Ram Krishna Ranjan Artistic Practice: Film
Nick Aikens Artistic Practice: Fine Art (Curatorial project)
Åsa Sonjasdotter Artistic Practice: Fine Art
Sebastian Gatz (Konstfack) Artistic Practice: Design
Rosa Tolnov Clausen Artistic Practice: Craft
Maryam Fanni Artistic Practice: Design
Franz James Artistic Practice: Design
Birgitta Nordström Artistic Practice: Craft
Gustav Thane Artistic Practice: Craft

For all completed PhDs in the Artistic Faculty go here

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3. Research Clusters within the Academy

Research at HDK-Valand takes diverse forms and explores a wide range of questions. The HDK-Valand research community is diverse and our research operates in, through, on, and for the spectrum of artistic practices, including any form of research that centers the actual practices of Photography, Literary Composition, Film, Design, Craft and Art (and variously titled 'practice-based', 'practice-led', 'artistic research' etc.) . We work with a composite set of methodologies and theories, drawing from many different artistic, artisanal, humanistic and scientific traditions. We have established a system of informal groupings and thematic clusters under the following four headings:

Politics, Practices and Publics: Research in this theme is rooted in the social and political, and is based on the transformative power of art and knowledge. It is driven by a critical orientation and explores issues of publicness, democracy, identities, embodied experience, culture and education, and heritage and narrative. It explores ways of problematising, imagining, articulating and visualising the present, but also of formulating possible futures and alternative histories.
Environment: Ecological and Climate Challenges: Different practices and methods in design, art and pedagogy play a prominent role in collaborative investigations focused on designing and understanding the societal challenges posed by climate change.
Economies: Organizing, Valuating and Working: The relationship between art, design and the wider economy - markets, organisations and labour - is explored in this theme. Classic and new questions about the functions and dysfunctions of the economy are exposed and explored with practitioners in art and design research.
Materialities and experimental aesthetics: Research in this theme examines formal, material, pedagogical and ethical issues that move within and define different artistic fields and practices. (Materialities)

By connecting your research proposal to the work of one or more of these thematic groupings you can demonstrate a good fit with the existing research culture of the academy.

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4. Cotutelle (joint doctorate) opportunities

This section provides information about other doctoral pathways that we are developing for the future. It is not a post that you can currently apply for, however, when such posts are constructed we will announce them on our website.

HDK-Valand works in several international partnerships, and we are currently seeking to construct joint PhD programmes called "co-tutelles" whereby the PhD researcher is based in two institutions that share the costs of the doctoral employment, and the PhD researcher is offered a joint award.

A "cotutelle PhD" is a doctoral programme that is awarded by two or more universities in collaboration with each other. Also known as joint PhDs, these degrees offer students the opportunity to spend their time at more than one university, benefiting from parallels between different research specialisms at each institution and accessing complementary and different research environments and cultures.

Some of the advantages of the cotutelle route are:

Having access to complementary facilities, resources and personnel, and to a concentrated inter-institutional pool of expertise within your research specialism
Enhanced international mobility
Enhanced networking opportunities for future job prospects, research development opportunities, and funding bids
Opportunities for wider dissemination and public visibility of the research project
Having access to, and direct experience of, different approaches to research and different research organisations, protocols and systems, giving you greater experience and insight into institutional and international differences in research cultures and practices. A wider horizon on research practice
A double degree

We will publish on this webpage a full specification of any co-tutelle opportunities that may arise in teh course of 2026 and early 2027.

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5. Online workshop Wednesday 3 June 2026 - 16:30-19:00 (CEST)

The recording of the ONLINE APPLICATION INFORMATION SESSION Wednesday 3 June 2026 is now available.

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6. Frequently asked questions sheet

This is a sheet with frequently asked questions - last updated 10 June 2026

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7. Rules for Doctoral Education at University of Gothenburg

Rules for Doctoal Education at University of Gothenburg (to be updated from 1st of July 2026)

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8. How to request recognitions of equivalent learning for those who do not have the Masters' level qualification.

This pdf provides a simple model for how to request recognition of equivalent prior learning to a Master's qualification. The document that you prepare to establish equivalent experience should be uploaded in place of the Master Degree certificate.

EquivalenceMasters.Qulaification2.pdf

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9. Questions raised by participants in the online briefing session of 3 June.