OZSW Membership Policy

Quick links:

On becoming a member of the OZSW

  • All members can participate in several OZSW activities, such as OZSW study groups and the annual conference. All members get a discount on the registration fee for the annual conference;
  • In addition, a range of educational activities (courses, seminars, schools) are organized for PhD candidate and ReMa student members. For ReMa and PhD candidate members educational activities are free, or offered against a (heavily) discounted free;
  • Members can start a new OZSW study group;
  • Members will be included in the OZSW member directory, and can make changes to their profile;
  • Members can easily add an event to the OZSW event calendar;
  • Members will be kept up to date about relevant news and activities through the OZSW mailing lists.

Please note that the OZSW has a very specific mission, and is not a general association of philosophers in the Netherlands. There are other forums and organizations for these purposes.

OZSW membership types & fees

The OZSW has five different membership types:

  • Regular Senior members
  • Associate Senior members
  • Regular PhD members
  • Associate PhD members
  • ReMA student members

Senior members

Senior members are scholars with a PhD degree, who are actively pursuing academic research in philosophy. This entails that those members publish their philosophical research in relevant academic journals and with academic presses. There are 2 sub-categories:

  1. Regular Senior members
    Regular Senior members are affiliated with a department/faculty of philosophy of one of the 12 founding universities, and do not pay membership fees, since their departments / faculties annually pay a lump-sum contribution covering all its members.
  2. Associate Senior members
    Associate Senior members are affiliated with a Dutch university, but not with one of the departments/faculties of philosophy of one of the 12 founding universities, or to a foreign university and pay a membership fee. They enjoy the same rights as regular members.

The following groups can become associate members:

  • Those affiliated with one of the 12 participating universities, but with another department/faculty than those found through the link above – such as an ‘University Medical Center’ or a department of law or political sciences.
  • Those affiliated with another university than the 12 participating universities, such as Wageningen University or Open Universiteit Nederland.
  • Those affiliated with a non-Dutch university and who wish to have a professional affiliation with the Dutch academic philosophical community.

Senior teachers in philosophy who do not actively pursue academic research but who are affiliated with a Dutch university can apply for a Regular or Associate Senior membership by sending a message to the OZSW coordinator (assistant.director@ozsw.nl)

Membership fee:
Associate Senior members pay €50/year per person.
Note: Associate Senior Members who want to cancel their membership should inform the OZSW office before the 1st of November. Otherwise the OZSW will send the membership invoice for the following year.

PhD members

PhD members are PhD candidates who are writing a PhD dissertation in philosophy, or a dissertation that entails a strong philosophical component at a Dutch academic institute. There are 2 sub-categories:

  1. Regular PhD members

Regular PhD members are affiliated with a department/faculty of philosophy of one of the 12 founding universities.

Membership fee:
The department / faculty of one of the 12 founding universities pay a membership fee of €1000 per PhD (employee) or €500 per PhD (non-employee / ‘buitenpromovendus’) who becomes a member of the OZSW. When PhDs want to register for an OZSW membership, they can send this registration form and send it to the contact person of their institute who will decide and sign for their membership. The OZSW will send the bill to the department / faculty. PhD candidates who cannot become a member of the OZSW through their institute can become an Associate PhD member.

Special note for 4TU.Ethics members: you can participate in joint OZSW + 4TU courses for free with your 4TU membership. However, if you would like to participate in other OZSW courses for free, you need an OZSW membership. If you are affiliated with a founding partner, you can request a Regular PhD membership. If you are not affiliated with a founding partner, you can register for an Associate PhD membership (see below)

  1. Associate PhD members

Associate PhD members are affiliated with a Dutch university, but not with one of the departments/faculties of philosophy of one of the 12 founding universities. They enjoy the same rights as regular PhD members.

The following groups can become Associate PhD members:

  • PhD candidates affiliated with one of the 12 participating universities, but with another department/faculty than those found through the link above – such as an ‘universitair medisch centrum’ or a department of law or political sciences.
  • PhD candidates affiliated with another university than the 12 participating universities, such as Wageningen University,  or Open Universiteit Nederland.
  • PhD candidates affiliated with a department/faculty of philosophy of one of the 12 founding universities, but for whom the institution does not pay the fee.
  • PhD candidates affiliated with a non-Dutch university.

Membership fee:
Associate PhD members pay €250 / year per person. The OZSW will send the bill to the PhD candidate. The PhD candidate can choose to try to declare these costs at their institute.

Note that the fee for an OZSW course is generally €300 for non-OZSW members, whereas courses are usually free for OZSW members.

Special note for 4TU.Ethics members: you can participate in joint OZSW + 4TU courses for free with your 4TU membership. However, if you would like to participate in other OZSW courses for free, you need an OZSW membership. If you are affiliated with a founding partner, you can request a Regular PhD membership (see above). If you are not affiliated with a founding partner, you can register for an Associate PhD membership

All PhD members are requested to inform the OZSW when they earn the PhD degree. Associate PhD Members who want to cancel their membership before they earn their PhD degree should inform the OZSW office before the 1st of November. Otherwise the OZSW will send the membership invoice for the following year. If an Associate PhD member has followed a course, the fee for the membership of the year of the course will not be reimbursed.

ReMa student members

ReMa student members are Research Master students in philosophy who are enrolled at a Dutch University.  ReMa students are registered as a member by their ReMa-coordinator. If a ReMa student wants to become a member throughout the year, they can ask their ReMa coordinator to register them as a member.

Membership fee:
ReMa student members do not pay a membership fee.

Additional membership policy/guidelines

At the beginning of each year, members will receive an automatic invitation to confirm or opt out of continuation of their membership.

Membership of the OZSW entails a duty to inform the OZSW of any changes in the relevant information (such as change of affiliation/employer, graduating, end of contract, etc.).

PhD candidates who earn the PhD degree can continue to be a member of the OZSW for one year without having to pay a membership fee. If within that year they become employed at a Dutch or international university, then the membership rules for senior members apply.

Senior members affiliated with one of the 12 founding partners whose employment contract ends, can remain a regular member for another 12 months after the end of their contract, without having to pay a membership fee.

Members who retire can remain regular members, as long as they continue to remain active in publishing academic philosophy.

Members who want to cancel their membership should inform the OZSW office before the 1st of November. Otherwise the OZSW will send the membership invoice for the following year.

Philosophers who do not meet the criteria for membership (see above), yet who do want to become members of the OZSW, can apply for an exception (stating the reasons/motivation for membership) by sending a request to the scientific director of the OZSW.

Register as OZSW member here

Print Friendly, PDF & Email