Internship Project
Cultural Studies, Social Sciences and Politics

Collection and Archive on the Work and Life of Navina Sundaram (1945–2022)

Institution
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Institute for Asian and African Studies (IAAW)
Department for South Asian Cultures and Societies
Subject Area
South Asian Studies, Diaspora Studies, Migration and Cultural Production, Media and Gender Studies, Transcultural Studies
Availability
04 May – 24 July
 
Internship Modality:
On-site internship in Berlin

Applications for summer 2026 are open from 05 November to 18 December 2025.
Project Supervisor(s)
Prof. Dr. Nadja-Christina Schneider
Academic Level
Master's students
Language
English; German is plus but not mandatory.
Further Information
Project Type
Academic Research
Project Content
The project explores the professional career, life, and work of journalist, documentary filmmaker, and transcultural knowledge communicator Navina Sundaram (1945–2022), a pioneering actor in the history of German public broadcasting.
The digital archive The Fifth Wall (https://die-fuenfte-wand.de/en) brings together more than sixty films, reports, letters, and texts from Sundaram’s professional and personal collection, revealing new perspectives on migration, postcolonialism, and the representation of marginalized voices in German media. 

Two three-month research internships are available for international MA students to participate actively in this project at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. 
Interns will contribute to archival research, metadata enrichment, and the contextual analysis of audiovisual materials related to German-Indian relations, migration histories, and transnational media networks. They will collaborate closely with the project team, engage with ongoing research activities, and support knowledge exchange with partner organizations. The internships provide practical experience in digital archiving, interdisciplinary research, and public humanities, encouraging collaborative approaches across cultural, media, and area studies. 
Tasks for Interns
Possible areas of focus, to be defined and refined in dialogue with the selected interns, may include:
  • Conducting an explorative study on a thematic aspect related to The Fifth Wall archive
  • Assisting in reviewing and cataloging archival materials that have not yet been digitized
  • Supporting the contextual analysis of audiovisual and textual materials concerning German-Indian relations and transnational media histories.
  • Participating in knowledge exchange and public engagement activities on key topics represented in the archive.
Academic Level
Master's students
Requirements
Disciplinary background in media and communication, film, cultural or area studies
Expected Preparation
Registration and first exploration of the online archive "The Fifth Wall".
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For more information on the Humboldt Internship Program or the project, please contact the program coordinator.