Partner NIAS

Aankomende programma’s

22 04 24

Diasporas and the Quest for Justice

Across Europe today, various diaspora groups memorialise past atrocities, seek justice, and mobilise for genocide recognition. These transitional justice efforts can be contested and denied by other diasporic political entrepreneurs. Reflecting on diverse diaspora experiences, Maria Koinova, Ayşenur Korkmaz, and Camilla Orjuela will discuss contemporary quests for justice.

Programma’s uit het verleden

25 03 24

Long Live Queer Nightlife! (Amsterdam Edition)

In his new book Long Live Queer Nightlife, acclaimed author Amin Ghaziani unveils the unexpected revolution revitalizing urban nightlife. It is an exhilarating journey into underground parties, pulsating with life and limitless possibility. Tonight, Ghaziani discusses his encounters and experiences with Haroon Ali and Jan Willem Duyvendak.

14 03 24

Multiple Perspectives on Emerging Curiosity in Societal Contexts

We value curiosity as an important driver of human evolution, society, art and intellect—and rightly so. But what is curiosity? How, when and where does it develop? What happens when that development is interrupted, or cut short? And how can we make sure that, when it is, the personal and societal consequences are minimised and addressed?

22 01 24

Listening Exercises: Towards an Ethics of Silent Resistance

Is it possible to be in the world without being devoured by it, to care without getting lost, to contribute sincerely without projecting yourself over others? Public philosophers Miriam Rasch and Costica Bradatan invite you to a conversation about alternative ways of engaging.

15 12 23

The Danger of Conflation

What is Antisemitism?

Since Hamas’s atrocious attack on October 7 and Israel’s near-immediate retaliatory bombings that have killed more than 18,000 Palestinians, Europe has seen a troubling surge in both state and private efforts to restrict criticism of Israel or support of “the Palestinian cause” with the stated goal of protecting against anti-Semitism. But how is anti-Semitism being defined, why so, and with what results?

13 11 23

Data and Social Justice

From #BlackLivesMatter to #DalitLivesMatter

Appearing on Twitter/X for the first time in 2014, #DalitLivesMatter (#DLM) is one of the latest chapters in a long history of offline and online cross-fertilisation between Dalit and African American struggles for social justice. What can a digital humanities approach tell us about the productive and counterproductive effects of this association, and by extension about such activist associations in general?

30 10 23

NIAS Talk

Voting in Turbulent Times: the Dutch Elections in a Comparative Perspective

On 22 November Dutch voters will cast their ballot in the Parliamentary Elections, bringing new urgency to questions that have been occupying politicians, pundits, and political scientists for years. How has the electoral behavior of key social groups such as the working class changed in the last decades? Are we witnessing a crisis of the Left or is there new hope for social democratic and other parties? Have political elites in the Netherlands and Europe become more diverse, and (why) does it matter who our representatives are?

14 06 23

Uncommon Transitions? Memory and Forgetting between Eastern and Western Europe

Why do memories of transitions in the late 1980s and 1990s remain disconnected between Eastern and Western Europe? This NIAS talk explores the diverging interpretations and memory cultures of this turbulent time in history that have emerged in the ‘former East’ and the ‘former West’. Together with experts working on different parts of Central and Eastern Europe, we shed light on how these transitions are remembered and forgotten in the Netherlands as well as in other countries of the ‘former West’.

12 05 23

The Power of the Sun: Solar Imaginations

How was the Sun conceived and visualized throughout the centuries? And what challenges featuring the Source of Life will we face in the near future? The Power of the Sun brings together literary scholars, astronomers, designers and climate scientists to illuminate our cultural histories and imagine new solar futures. Due to the current climate crisis, diverging conceptions of Sun and its relation to our existence have come into being. What is the future of our dealings with the Sun, and, taking into account climate catastrophe and increasing inequality, what kind of transitions are needed to create a more democratic use of solar power? How do we retain our place under the Sun?

11 05 23

NIAS Talk

Dutch Colonies of Benevolence

Last year, the UNESCO World Heritage recognized the lasting cultural significance of the unfree ‘colony of benevolence’ at Veenhuizen (now home to the National Prison Museum). This round table brings together three leading researchers on domestic colonies to discuss the international significance of this colony, which opened its doors 200 years ago.

19 04 23

Digital Childhoods: Learning Within New Media

How do digital media impact children’s experiences and learning? What is at stake when apps, robots, voice assistants and the so-called internet of toys are used by children? What role do big tech companies play in this critical period of life? With the help of experts in linguistics, communications, media studies, and cognitive science, this thought-provoking roundtable explores challenges and opportunities that digital technologies pose to bringing up children today.

20 03 23

Over de rol van conflict in de democratie

Tegen/stellingen

Hoe organiseer je politiek conflict? Het is een van de belangrijkste vragen in een goed functionerende democratie. Onder invloed van neoliberaal gedachtegoed en beleid zijn politieke verschillen de afgelopen decennia afgevlakt. Als gevolg worden tegenstellingen vooral kunstmatig gecreëerd om kiezers te mobiliseren en tegen elkaar af te zetten. Een panel van journalisten, schrijvers, wetenschappers en activisten onderzoekt deze gevaarlijke impasse en hoe haar te overstijgen.

21 02 23

Is daar iemand. Over poëzie en psychose

Veertien jaar na een psychotische crisis en daaropvolgende opname presenteert Micha Hamel zijn nieuwe dichtbundel is daar iemand. Een groot deel van deze gedichten schreef hij tijdens zijn fellowship als artist-in-residence bij NIAS. Naast voordrachten uit de bundel is er muziek en geeft Ralph Kupka een korte inleiding in de wereld van bipolaire stoornissen.

25 01 23

On the long-term health effects of war and humanitarian crises

The Holodomor and Health Heritage

Russia’s deliberate war strategy in Ukraine has disrupted agriculture and food storage and distribution systems to hinder food supplies to the population. The war has created an immediate health and humanitarian crisis of catastrophic proportions inside and outside Ukraine. Furthermore, research on past wars and conflicts points out that the current crisis could have long-term health repercussions. Tonight, experts will discuss this “health heritage” by taking the case study of the Holodomor, the 1932-1934 period of extreme famine in Soviet Ukraine.

18 01 23

Kunstmatige intelligentie: medicijn voor de zorg?

Ons zorgsysteem moet op de schop. De wachtlijsten voor mensen met mentale problemen worden alsmaar langer. Hoe complexer het probleem, hoe langer het wachten is op behandeling. Dit is in de eerste plaats schadelijk voor mensen in (acute) nood. Daarnaast ondermijnt het ons vertrouwen in zorgverleners, zoals psychiaters en psychologen. Wat is er nodig om de psychiatrie klaar te stomen voor de toekomst? Vanavond onderzoekt professor Iris Sommer of en hoe kunstmatige intelligentie de psychiatrie kan remediëren.

13 12 22

Secrets of the Sea in Times of Climate Breakdown

Despite its many secrets and wonders, oceans have been under threat for years. Corals are dying and sea life is disappearing. Although this is a global phenomenon, some people are affected more than others—and as with many a climate issue, these inequalities bear witness of the afterlife of (post)colonialism. In this talk, we shed light on the ambiguous nature of marine protection and the colonial dimensions of ocean health.

17 10 22

Toekomsthistorici

Wat is de staat van de historische discipline volgens jonge geschiedkundige vakmensen? En hoe relateren zij hun geschiedpraktijk aan dat wat niet achter, maar juist voor ons ligt; hoe verhouden historici zich tot de toekomst en haar verbeelding?

03 10 22

Populisme in de polder

De macht der gewoonte

‘Gewoon’ doen – waar het voor de één nastrevenswaardig is, vindt de ander het verstikkend; het ‘gewone’ is politiek. In hun nieuwe boek De macht der gewoonte. Populisme in de polder analyseren de sociologen Menno Hurenkamp en Jan Willem Duyvendak hoe en waarom ‘het gewone’ wordt ingezet, aan verschillende kanten van het politieke spectrum. Ter gelegenheid van deze publicatie gaan zij in gesprek met Rineke van Daalen, Evelien Tonkens, Hubert Smeets en Marcel Ham.

20 09 22

Harvesting Care: Reflections on Sustainable Farming

The summer of 2022 is marked by farmers’ protests, sky high temperatures and huge forest fires. This presses us to rethink our ideas of ecological resilience and re-invent our ways of dealing with nature and food-provisioning. How can we create a more sustainable and caring system for both humans and nature? This NIAS Talk looks into the interaction between urban farming practices and care. What can city gardens mean for our food provisioning, and our ideas about sustainability and care in urban environments?

15 06 22

Future Imaginaries in the Making: (Post-) Crisis Greece

Which imaginaries and narratives of the future are currently infiltrating the Greek public sphere and Greek culture, and to what ends? This panel zooms in on contemporary Greece to ask questions that contribute to larger debates about future imaginations within and beyond the neoliberal present.

24 05 22

The Incredible Shrinking Man

The Incredible Shrinking Man is een artistiek en prijswinnend onderzoek van ontwerper-kunstenaar Arne Hendriks naar de mogelijkheden om een mens te creëren van vijftig centimeter, een mens die beter op aarde past. In deze theatrale lezing horen we over Hendriks’ speculatieve ontwerponderzoek naar de mogelijkheden en gevolgen van een mens van een halve meter lang.

17 05 22

Journalistiek onder de loep

Autoriteit en activisme

In het publieke debat wordt neutraliteit steeds vaker als een illusie beschouwd, uiteraard met gevolgen voor de journalist. Welke rol spelen transparantie en privilege in opvattingen over journalistiek? Sommige journalisten zijn expliciet over hun activisme en menen dat het naast hun professionele praktijk kan bestaan. Ook zijn er activisten die een podium krijgen als columnist en journalist zonder dit als hun voornaamste bezigheid te zien. Hoe verhoudt de journalistiek zich tot autoriteit en activisme?

05 04 22

Women’s Voices from the Mediterranean

What insights can women’s experiences, their use of language and their ways of communication add to our understanding of the early modern Mediterranean? Together with NIAS fellow Eric Dursteler, historian Maartje van Gelder and writers Nisrine Mbarki and Lamia Makkadam we explore women’s active participation in this multilingual region. What can insights from the early modern age tell us about today?

30 03 22

Kees Schuyt over Helmut Plessner

Plessner en de kracht van de liberale democratie

Centraal in het denken van Helmut Plessner (1892 – 1985) stond de excentrische positie van de mens, ofwel het idee dat de mens de mogelijkheid bezit zichzelf als object te zien ten opzichte van de wereld en zijn medemensen. Helmut Plessner was een academicus met een groot bereik en zijn gedachtegoed verspreidde zich eveneens buiten de academie, zo ook onder D66’er Jan Glastra van Loon (1920 – 2001) en PvdA’er Lolle Nauta (1929 – 2006). Hoe is die centrale gedachte van Plessner van invloed geweest op hun praktische bijdragen aan de democratie in Nederland? In deze lezing onderzoekt Kees Schuyt het gedachtegoed van Helmut Plessner en hoe zich dat verhoudt tot het functioneren van de liberale democratie.

22 03 22

Conspiracy Theories and the Internet

Everything is Connected

The internet and conspiracy theories: two phenomena from today’s world that are both omnipresent, intangible and closely entangled. How should we understand the relation between the internet and the making and shaping of conspiracy theories?

10 01 22

Over menselijk gedrag in pandemische tijden

(Ir)rationaliteit heerst

Welk menselijk gedrag leggen langdurige effecten van pandemieën bloot en wat vertelt ons dit over onze maatschappij? In deze DLF Talk onderzoeken we welke lessen we kunnen trekken uit onze omgang met infectieziekten zoals Covid-19.

11 10 21

Evolving Female Entrepreneurship in the 20th Century and Beyond

From Housewife to CEO

During this NIAS Talk we explore how female entrepreneurship has evolved in the 20th century in the Netherlands. By weaving philosophical, historical and contemporary experiences together, we explore the past and present of female entrepreneurship.

14 09 21

De kunst van verzamelen

Wonderlijke Wunderkammers

Op welke manieren komt de vroegmoderne verzamelvorm van ‘Wunderkammers’ terug in hedendaagse museale en artistieke interventies die verwondering en nieuwsgierigheid proberen te vangen?

01 04 21

Citizen-state relations in the city

Hear me out!

In this NIAS Talk fellows Anouk de Koning, Nanke Verloo and Markha Valenta discuss contemporary urban citizenship in Amsterdam as there is increasing emphasis on democratization and representation in citizen-state relations.

15 03 21

Collecting and Mapping Knowledge of Southern Africa

Rethinking Colonial Cartography

In this NIAS Talk we investigate late nineteenth century maps of southern Africa, made and compiled by European settlers. Many colonists who settled in what would become South Africa felt a need to map the land in order to ‘know’ it. What happens when we read colonial maps as texts?

15 02 21

NIAS Talk

Newcomers’ Right to the City

With increasing worldwide migrant mobilities it is not always clear who has the right to the city. What is the role of the newcomer in an urbanized world?

04 02 21

NIAS Talk

Mapping Belonging as a Field of Study

‘To belong: to be in the right place or a suitable place. To feel happy or comfortable in a situation.’ According to the Cambridge dictionary, the very word ‘belonging’ conjures up warm feelings. But what about the tensions present in this word?

12 01 21

The CIA's Public Life

Are Secret Agencies all that Secret?

In this NIAS talk, fellow Simon Willmetts focuses upon arguably the world’s most famous intelligence service, the CIA, and how they have tried to come to terms with their new public role.

10 12 20

NIAS Talk

The Unmaking of Medical Inadmissibility

In this NIAS Talk we shed light on the politics of migration and health, and official knowledge and decision making about people with chronic illness and developmental or genetic otherness within the Canadian immigration system.

26 11 20

Distinguished Lorentz Fellow Talk

Beyond the crisis in psychology

With the help of interdisciplinary research Iris van Rooij, Distinguished Lorentz Fellow 2020/21 at NIAS, will elaborate on possible ways out of the current crisis in psychology.

15 10 20

NIAS Talk

Whose climate crisis is it?

Where do we take the struggle for climate justice when governments continue to fail to make structural changes which are urgently needed? During this NIAS Talk, journalist Jaap Tielbeke and legal scholars Jeff Handmaker and Daphina Misiedjan discuss the role of (environmental) law in increasing efforts to fight climate change.

15 06 20

NIAS Talk

Nieuwe smaken van het nationaal populisme

Het dominante liberalisme en humanisme van de post-1945-orde heeft tradities als de contra-Verlichting lang onder de duim weten te houden. Maar nu het liberalisme steeds meer onder druk komt te staan, lijkt de markt voor thema’s als traditie, identiteit en gemeenschapsdenken te groeien. Afgelopen februari kwamen verschillende rechtse politici bij elkaar in Rome voor een grote conferentie over nationaal-conservatisme, onder wie Thierry Baudet, Viktor Orbán en Marion Maréchal-Le Pen.

13 01 20

Southern Europe in comparative perspective

Protest movements and electoral politics

What determines the prospects of contemporary protest movements – or lack thereof – to induce significant changes in electoral politics? Why have some protest movements been more effective in reshaping the electoral politics than others?

27 11 19

Jongeren (last)dragers van de toekomst?

Jongeren worden gezien als de dragers van de toekomst, maar het wordt duidelijk dat de samenleving wel erg sterk steunt op hun inzet en flexibiliteit. Wat heeft de arbeidsmarkt van de toekomst voor jongeren in petto? Welke eisen worden aan hen gesteld? Wie zijn potentieel succesvol op de arbeidsmarkt van morgen en wie lopen het risico tussen wal en schip te vallen? Wat kunnen we doen om iedereen binnenboord te houden?

23 10 19

1989. A concept challenged

Thirty years after the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, historian James Mark challenges the idea of 1989 revolutions as simply a turn to a liberal West. At this public launch, he will present and discuss his new book, arguing that the long history of resistance against the liberal outcome of 1989 helps us understand the ideological depth of the current authoritarian counter-revolution.

18 09 19

Een toekomst voor economische geschiedenis

Economen vinden het werk voor historici; geschiedkundigen laten het liever aan economen over. In de praktijk glipt economische geschiedenis door de mazen van de wetenschap – en dat is geen goed nieuws. Daarom wordt deze avond een lans gebroken voor meer aandacht voor ons economische verleden. Met: Chris Colvin, Sam de Muijnck, Oscar Gelderblom, Esther-Mirjam Sent en Jarig van Sinderen.