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30 May 2024

Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences to commission investigation into its colonial past

The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) intends to commission an investigation into its history of involvement in colonialism.

The Academy wishes to account for its past and to reflect on its present-day values. Understanding the many and varied facets of its own history will lay the foundation for a resilient, forward-looking and inclusive organisation. 

In the months ahead, the Academy will define the framework for the investigation. It will ask experts in its own ranks, representing a wide range of disciplines, to assist in determining the scope and purpose of the investigation, establishing the parameters for the actual commission. The investigation will take two or three years to complete and will be carried out by an independent party. The search for this party will commence this coming summer. The investigation will be outsourced and financed by the Academy. 

Contact e-mail address: koloniaalverleden@knaw.nl.

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