We invite (BA and MA) students with a dedication to the study of popular music (incl. jazz, EDM,…) at a university, university college or hogeschool in the Netherlands, Flanders or Luxemburg to apply for our one-year board membership program.
As a student board member, you will act as a representative for the popular music student population in the Benelux region. You will be able to fully participate in all board discussions (ca. monthly digital meetings) and have full voting rights on all board decisions. As such, you will gain an intimate understanding of the organizational and structural workings of IASPM, particularly the Benelux branch, and will be able to benefit from the global network of our organization. There may be a possibility of internship credits depending on your institution’s regulations.
Your tasks will include, among others, assisting with the organization of our annual student conference and other (digital or live) events such as our Pop Talks series. Also, you will support the board with external communication, both on social media and through e-mail, with our branch members and international colleagues.
To apply for this position, you need to submit a small dossier comprising a brief CV listing elements relevant to the position and a separate document with your response (ca. 100 words per question) to the following three questions:
What is your connection to IASPM and/or, more specifically, the Benelux branch?
In what way do you envision this board membership to help with your future endeavours as a popular music scholar?
What type of initiatives would you undertake in this role as a student board member, considering that you will represent the popular music student population in the Benelux region?
Please submit your dossier (CV + document with answers to questions) to our branch secretary, Joanna Zienkiewicz (j.z.zienkiewicz@rug.nl) before 30 November 2026. The board will decide on the awarding of this position in December 2026, with the newly-elected student board member starting in January.
Would you like to know more about the position? Read the account from our departing student board member, Pierre Bentz, below!
“Hey! I'm Pierre, the student board member of IASPM Benelux for 2026! I found my time on the board to be a really exciting endeavour. Organising the student conference earlier in June turned out to be such a gratifying experience! Being able to bring together scholars from different countries and offering a space for them to share knowledge with one another made me feel very proud of myself. Supporting popular music research in these difficult times for culture has never been more important. By being on the IASPM Benelux board YOU can make a difference. There is a lot of space for creativity in this position: the stage is yours! You will gain great practical knowledge on the intricacies of how to work with larger institutions, with multiple educational bodies, and with a team of like-minded academics.
I highly recommend applying for this position, especially if you plan to continue academia or are looking for a stepping stone to a future job. Good luck! I'll always be available for any questions!”