Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIAS-KNAW)

📊 What’s next for the Dutch welfare state? Femke Roosma, Associate Professor at Tilburg University and Professor by special appointment at the University of Amsterdam, investigates public support for social policy alternatives as an Instituut GAK Fellow. https://lnkd.in/dEpmJFHS Her project explores which welfare state reforms are socially legitimate by analysing people’s preferences for different policy proposals, the groups they believe should benefit, and how policies should be implemented. Using existing survey data alongside a new survey experiment, Roosma examines whether the public favours innovation or tradition and how support varies among social, political, and economic groups. #NIAS #InstituutGAK #NIASFellows #YearGroup2526 #PublicAdministration #SocialPolicy #WelfareState #PoliticalScience

Only a few spots left for the NIAS Opening of the Academic Year! ‼️ Come listen to the keynote by former Harvard President Claudine Gay and join the conversation that matters. This Wednesday 3 September at 16.00h in De Waalse Kerk. Professor Claudine Gay will reflect on the principles that are critical to the strength and vitality of academic life: openness, inclusion, and independence. In a time of rising political and economic pressures on universities, her keynote will address efforts to refashion universities as spaces where dissent is suppressed, knowledge is pursued only within the framework of ideology, and the hard-won commitments to access achieved over recent decades are being undone. Following Professor Gay’s address, Professor of Ethics of Institutions Ingrid Robeyns 🟥 will turn to the political and economic pressures at work on and within the Dutch science landscape, and their wanted and unwanted, foreseen and unforeseen consequences. After a poetry reading by renowned Dutch poet (and NIAS alum) Maria Barnas a panel further joined by Professor of Administration of Justice and Legal Philosophy Jonathan Soeharno and editor-in-chief of Dutch daily newspaper Trouw Wendelmoet Boersema will explore the respective missions and vulnerabilities of the three ‘verifying and authenticating institutions’ of liberal democracy (the academy, the judiciary and the press), what guardrails they need most, and how they might ally to get and keep those in place. The event will be moderated by Marcia Luyten. 👉🏽 Be part of this debate—reserve one of the last remaining seats. https://lnkd.in/e6Wn9WQe

🔶 Welcome at NIAS: Rita Baroud on 'Citizen Reporting from Gaza' As a NIAS Safe Haven Fellow, journalist and writer Rita Baroud investigates the evolving genre of documentary reporting combined with literary essay, as it emerges under siege—specifically during the recent war on Gaza. https://lnkd.in/e6BT3b-f With international journalists barred and local media targeted, civilians have become key eyewitnesses. Baroud’s project explores how this form of citizen journalism not only documents facts but also includes deeply personal reflections shaped by lived experience. Her research compares content by civilian journalists, local professionals, and Western media, examining differences in tone, credibility, and narrative technique. She also conducts interviews to understand how personal background impacts the form and language of reporting. In parallel, Baroud is developing her own essays, offering insight into her experience as a young female writer under siege. The Safe Haven Fellowship Programme is funded by NIAS, Maastricht University and the University of Amsterdam. #NIAS #YearGroup #NIASFellows #safehaven

Ivory artefacts carry stories far beyond their delicate craftsmanship. Ganga Rajinee Dissanayaka, NIAS - NIOD - KITLV Fellow and independent researcher, explores the rich histories of Sri Lankan ivory boxes, jewellery, and statues housed in Dutch museums. Her work traces these objects’ journeys—from their creation and cultural significance to their place in debates on provenance and restitution. https://lnkd.in/ehkZQKxn Using a multidisciplinary lens that combines material study and iconographic analysis, Dissanayaka reveals the complex legacies these artefacts embody. Her research confronts colonial histories and advocates for decolonising museum practices, fostering dialogue between Sri Lanka and the Netherlands. This project underscores heritage’s power in shaping collective memory and advancing cultural justice—aligning closely with NIAS’s commitment to diversity and global collaboration. #NIAS #Yeargroup #NIASFellows #Decolonisation #CulturalHeritage

From bombed campuses and genocide in Gaza to censored pens in Turkey — three threatened voices will soon find refuge in Amsterdam. As Safe Haven Fellows at the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study (NIAS), they can continue their work in safety, alongside dozens of international colleagues. Read this article in Villamedia by ANP: A journalist and a scholar from the Gaza Strip, along with a cartoonist from Turkey, are being offered shelter in the Netherlands. Here, they can continue their work as so-called Safe Haven Fellows. This is a project of the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study (NIAS), part of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). The fellowships are intended for researchers who can no longer safely carry out their work because of war and conflict. That is why they should be able to find a safe haven in Amsterdam. At NIAS, they will join a group of several dozen researchers from other countries. Vulnerable communities One of the new fellows is Hazem Abu-Orf, Associate Professor at the University of Palestine in the Gaza Strip. The campus was heavily damaged by Israeli bombardments early last year. In the Netherlands, Abu-Orf will conduct research on the circular economy in vulnerable communities. Journalist Rita Baroud, who is also coming to the Netherlands, has reported among others for NRC on the situation in Gaza. In Amsterdam, she will study citizen journalism in war zones. Turkish cartoonist Zehra Ömeroğlu will be working in the Netherlands on a book about censorship. Academic freedom The next round begins in February of next year, when another three fellows will take up residence in the Netherlands. More than four hundred people have applied, including several Americans. “Until recently, the United States was the global model of academic freedom. Now, a growing number of scholars there feel so unsafe that they are leaving the country. Because of the circumstances, they can no longer continue their work without fear,” says NIAS director Jan Willem Duyvendak. The first Safe Haven Fellows arrived in Amsterdam in 2022. At that time, the project was intended for researchers from Ukraine as well as critical thinkers from Russia and Belarus. Early last year the project was expanded to include other conflict regions. NIAS collaborates on the program with Maastricht University and the University of Amsterdam. https://lnkd.in/ewi7n5dN

🔬 Measuring the brain: why does it matter? Assistant Professor Jolien Francken from the University of Amsterdam is developing a philosophical ‘measurement toolbox’ for neuroscience during her L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Fellowship. https://lnkd.in/d7PSGVDw Her work addresses the challenges of measuring complex concepts like consciousness, which are studied with diverse and sometimes conflicting methods. By clarifying what measurement means in neuroscience, Francken aims to improve scientific practices and enhance reliability across life sciences. This project also seeks to bridge the gap between research and public understanding, fostering clearer communication about the role and challenges of measurement in science. #NIAS #NIASFellows #YearGroup2526 #Neuroscience #PhilosophyOfScience #Measurement #ScienceCommunication

📣 NIAS Fellow 2025/26: Areej Sabbagh-Khoury We are pleased to welcome Areej Sabbagh-khoury, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology and Anthropology at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem as a NIAS Fellow for the 2025–2026 academic year. https://lnkd.in/e4ytUp_m Her project explores the intersection of political economy and settler colonial governmentality in relation to Palestinian citizens in Israel. While formally granted citizenship, Palestinians have experienced long-standing socio-political and economic marginalisation. The research examines how this marginalisation informs political and economic strategies in an increasingly exclusionary society—despite recent claims of economic inclusion. It investigates three main developments: 🔹 Substantial state investment in Palestinian communities 🔹 The rise of ethno-nationalist state policies 🔹 Increasing civic and political engagement among Palestinians Using a multi-method approach, including interviews, policy and discourse analysis, the project offers new insights into how modes of governance are negotiated and experienced. #NIAS #NIASFellows #YearGroup #Sociology #PoliticalEconomy

🏛️ Exploring the ties between architecture and institutions During her Artist in Residence fellowship at NIAS, visual artist Cecilia Hendrikx investigates the intricate relationship between architectural design and the social, historical, and organisational dynamics it embodies. https://lnkd.in/d64QbZJh Focusing on the NIAS community, her project “As It Appears” uses a series of surtout de tables to explore how buildings both reflect and shape institutional roles and cultural values. By engaging closely with fellows, staff, and facilitators, Hendrikx reveals how the built environment influences perceptions and functions within evolving societal expectations. Her approach combines practical, theoretical, and phenomenological methods to uncover the layered meanings behind the spaces we inhabit. NIAS and the Akademie van Kunsten set up the Artist-in-Residence fellowship to highlight the value of the arts in society and the close relationship between the arts and sciences. We think that cross-pollination between creative approaches and formal scientific disciplines strengthens ties and triggers novel approaches and insights. Benefiting both arts and sciences, as well as wider society. #NIAS #ArtistInResidence #NIASFellows #YearGroup2526 #Architecture #Anthropology #Art #InstitutionalDesign

🧠 Can we understand the brain without understanding the body? This is the question driving Francesco Battaglia, Distinguished NIAS Lorentz Fellow and Professor of Theoretical and Systems Neuroscience at Radboud University. https://lnkd.in/eUKAaX6S Battaglia challenges the dominant “brain as computer” model in neuroscience. Instead, he proposes that cognition, emotion, and perception arise from embodied dynamics—from how the brain and body interact with the world in real time. His project merges sensorimotor theory, neurotechnology, and theoretical models to move towards a more complete and grounded understanding of brain function. An ambitious, interdisciplinary approach that resonates with NIAS’s commitment to rethinking knowledge across disciplines. #NIAS #Yeargroup #NIASFellows #EmbodiedCognition #Interdisciplinarity

Last week, NIAS was a powerhouse of knowledge on revolutions and social movements. Expert scholars came together for our summer workshop on this topic: Revolution Theory, Social Movement Theory: Bringing Them Closer. Among the guests was renowned researcher Donatella della Porta, who was thoughtfully interviewed by Marcel Wiegman and Madelief van Dongen of Het Parool. 📖 Read the interview – it couldn’t be more timely. Sharing a quote: 'Donatella della Porta is one of the most important European researchers of social movements. She is a professor of political science at the Scuola Normale Superiore in Florence, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and has received honorary doctorates from six universities. Now that the Israeli army has launched an offensive on Gaza City and activists are preparing for new confrontations, her work is more relevant than ever. Her point: if protesting is made impossible, if demonstrations are preemptively banned out of fear of public disorder, if protesters are turned into criminals, then all is lost. “Then you run the risk that people will remain silent and turn away from politics. A democracy can only truly be a democracy if it allows people to express their critical viewpoints.” https://lnkd.in/euA5QwDw