Matthijs is working on a PhD thesis alongside his job: ‘I am not a typical researcher’

28 August 2025 Research news item

From Monday to Thursday, Matthijs Kraijo supports the faculty board of the Faculty of Arts as vice secretary. In his spare time, he is a historian researching the lives of indentured labourers who worked on plantations after the abolition of slavery. ‘My research also makes me more aware of how to involve minorities in my regular work.’

Kraijo has long been fascinated by the history of migration and colonialism. As an intern, he worked on a project about the history of slavery, and for his thesis he investigated the factors that contributed to the migration of Hindustani indentured labourers: people who migrated from India to Suriname after the abolition of slavery to work temporarily on the plantations there. Although he hoped to pursue a PhD at the time, it did not work out. He did get a job at the Faculty of Arts, but not as a researcher.

Nevertheless, he continued to be drawn to research. ‘A few years ago, I researched my family tree and within two days I was able to trace my ancestors back to the year 1200, just by searching the internet,’ says Kraijo. 'It was really cool, but it also got me thinking. How strange it is that this is so easy for one person, while another, for example descendants of people living under colonialism, can hardly or not at all trace their ancestry back further than 1850?’

Finding ancestors

This motivated Kraijo to research the history of indentured labourers who migrated from India to countries such as South Africa, Fiji and Suriname. ‘This has influenced both Suriname and the Netherlands, as well as the people who live there to this day. I hope to help them gain context and give them the tools to find their own family history more easily.’

Although Kraijo wanted to do research again, he hesitated for a long time. ‘It’s a lot to take on, especially when you combine it with your regular job.’ In the spring of 2024, he took the plunge and approached his prospective supervisor, Coen van Galen, about a possible path as an external PhD candidate. ‘Together, we discussed the possibilities for the research and which research questions I could use to add something to the existing knowledge. I then wrote a research proposal, just like regular PhD students do. I submitted the proposal in September and the faculty's research director eventually gave me the go-ahead, so I was able to start at the beginning of this year.’

Occasional exercise or rest

Whereas a PhD programme usually takes four years, the guideline for external PhD candidates, who are not paid for their research, is six years. ‘It is possible to take longer, but the guideline has been set so that people don't continue their research indefinitely.’ Kraijo himself expects to need more time. ‘I'm either fully committed or I really have to force myself to do it. I find it difficult to work on my research for an hour here and there. In that sense, I'm perhaps not a typical researcher, but I've discussed that with my supervisor.’

Kraijo tries to work on his research for at least sixteen hours a week. 'All day Friday and Saturday and Sunday morning. Of course, this doesn't work out perfectly every week, so sometimes I work a few hours in the evening after work. I also want to be able to exercise, visit friends and family or just relax every now and then.'

Side project

After six months of PhD research, Kraijo has no regrets. ‘Although I have to admit that a side project has meant I've been spending less time on my research itself in recent weeks, even though it's closely related to my topic.’ Kraijo is helping to write mini-biographies of female ancestors from the Caribbean and Suriname for the Our Heritage project. ‘It's incredibly insightful to reconstruct these life stories and to come into contact with people from the communities I'm researching.’ The project will result in a book and a major exhibition.

Necessary tact

The skills he has acquired in both his work and his research are helpful in this regard. ‘As vice secretary, I am involved in management and policy. You have to write things down tactfully. That tact is also necessary when you talk to people about a sensitive past.’

Conversely, his research makes Kraijo a better employee. ‘This research is about diversity and inclusion, about how you involve certain groups of people. The university world remains a predominantly white environment. Not every perspective is adequately represented. My research also makes me more alert in my regular work to how you involve minority groups.’

Contact information

Organizational unit: Faculty of Arts, Radboud Institute for Culture and History
Theme: History, Personal development