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Starting in September, an interdisciplinary research team will conduct an extensive investigation into the Academy’s colonial past. The ‘Koloniale macht en kennis’ (KMK) consortium (Colonial Power and Knowledge) that was awarded the contract for the investigation is led by Laurens de Rooy, curator and director of the Vrolik Museum at Amsterdam ľ�ϸ���Ӱ�� Medical Centre. The composition of the team reflects diversity, both in terms of the researchers involved and the disciplines they represent.

“In this project we would like to highlight underrepresented voices,” said science historian Robert-Jan Wille (Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ��). He specializes in the history of earth and climate sciences, and previously co-wrote the colonial history of the Faculty of Science and Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ��. He appreciates the willingness of institutions, such as now the KNAW, to scrutinize their own colonial history.

“Previously, science always seemed to revolve around white men, but that completely disregards part of the story. In research into the movement of earth plates, for example, much broader networks of local researchers in the Caribbean and the Dutch East Indies have also played an important role. In addition, we will also study the consequences of such scientific activities for local populations during the colonial era and afterwards. It’s not only a positive story. It’s important to acknowledge and show that.”

Previously, science always seemed to revolve around white men, but that completely disregards part of the story

Understanding of the Academy

The consortium's research proposal promises to shed light on the Academy as an organisation and contribute to scholarly debate on its colonial past and how that past continues to resonate today. The project will not only examine specific examples by means of case studies but also the broader links between them. It will thus make a substantive contribution to the current scholarly debate on colonial legacies and their present-day impact. The proposed approach testifies to a thorough understanding of the multifaceted nature of the Academy. The project will focus on aspects that are both tangible (collections, buildings, advisory services, awards) and intangible (institutional role, knowledge heritage system).

Voices that are underrepresented

In addition to conducting academic research, the project aims to engage a broad section of the public. One of the work packages focuses on putting together an exhibition. A documentary is also being prepared that will include oral histories and voices that have so far been underrepresented in the Academy’s discourse.

Local knowledge networks

The involvement of institutions with access to knowledge networks in areas that were (or are still) colonised by the Netherlands will also be a valuable component of the investigation, enhancing the involvement of postcolonial and diaspora communities and adding greater depth to the research. The consortium includes Culture Lab Consultancy (Jakarta) and the Anton de Kom Chair at VU  Amsterdam. These have strong institutional links that enable them to establish contact with knowledge networks in former Dutch colonies.

Not just about the Academy, but together with it

Laurens de Rooy: "The request comes at an opportune moment, and we fully understand the importance of the step that the Academy has taken. As the 'national guardian' of science and scholarship, the Academy has now adopted a candid and vulnerable stance in order to closely examine its own colonial past and the continuing impact that it has today. It is thus connecting up its past with the present and the future. After all, colonial knowledge was (and is) colonial power, so newly acquired knowledge is new power."

"We don't intend conducting the investigation separately from or just about the Academy, but rather together with it and of course together with relevant parties in the former colonies. We are therefore extremely pleased with our advisory board, which is made up of prominent researchers from four different continents."