Project Coordinator
Layan Nijem is the Project Coordinator of the transnational research project Decolonizing Southeast Asian Sound Archives (DeCoSEAS). They also currently serve as the interim co-curator of the Jaap Kunst Sound Collection at the University of Amsterdam due to the ongoing sick leave of Barbara Titus. By engaging with sound recordings, Layan’s own research investigates the dynamics of cultural memory and the politics of narrative in relation to identity formation, sovereignty, and cultural agencies.
In addition to DeCoSEAS, Layan is a research assistant in Perverse Collection (PERCOL), a project that focuses on building Europe’s Queer and Trans archives.
Layan holds a graduate degree in Arts and Culture – Music Studies specialization with an extra focus on archives from the University of Amsterdam. Apart from research, Layan completed a Bachelor of Music in classical Viola performance from Conservatorium Maastricht.