MA Fellowship programme
2020-2023

***The application period has finished in May 2020.***


The MA Fellowships programme is organized for the Creative EU project Beyond Matter – Cultural Heritage on the Verge of Virtual reality (BMVR). The program, that spawns the duration of the project (2020-2023), is run by Professor Lily Díaz-Kommonen, Department of Media at Aalto University, School of Arts, Design and Architecture. Among the goals of the BMVR project are:

  • Investigate the use of immersive technologies such as virtual reality in the design, realization, and preservation of heritage exhibitions.
  • Design and develop a Virtual Museology Toolkit that can be used by European museums seeking to use these technologies as part of their practices.
  • Further develop new artistic and design research methodologies that allow for recollection and recuperation of heritage knowledge among diverse communities of interest at the museums.


The programme seeks to brings together talented Masters students from Aalto University with important European museums and heritage institutions such as the ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe, Germany, the Centre George Pompidou in Paris, France, Tallinn Art Hall, Estonia, Tirana Art Lab, Albania and the Ludwig Museum in Budapest, Hungary. The programme consists of internships given to outstanding individuals with the objective of completing their final MA thesis, or engaging in a specific independent line of study and/or research that is in relation to the BMVR research project at one of the heritage institutions involved in the project. It provides students with independent study coursework opportunities and to carry on pre-arranged groups of activities at these institutions. The internship covers transportation and provides a stipend for living expenses while onsite.


Students apply to the program by sending a statement of interest. Selected applicants are invited for an interview and should bring the following materials:

  • Name and student number
  • Email address and telephone
  • Description of desired area of studies
  • Copy of transcripts
  • CV


The description of desired area of studies is a five-hundred words (maximum) narrative describing the desired topics of study and the expertise of the student. This will be used to draft an agreement between the candidate, their tutor and the receiving institution. The plan of study must be finalized and approved before travel by all parties including the student, the tutor and the receiving institution. Prior to departure, participants begin the internship through an initial training cycle at Aalto. There will be three candidates selected per year. It is possible for one candidate to hold more than one residency.


For more information please send email to: lily.diaz@aalto.fi or hanna.karkku@aalto.fi.

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