Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research

📅 Join us on 2 June for the final AISSR Lecture of the 2025–2026 season: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿-𝗥𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆 with political scientists and AISSR professors 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗚𝗹𝗮𝘀𝗶𝘂𝘀 & Ward Berenschot.

💰 Almost everywhere in the world, the super-rich have become dramatically wealthier over the past decades. But what does this mean for democracy? How do concentrated wealth and political power interact? And how can democratic institutions respond?

Drawing on examples from the United States, India, Indonesia, Russia, and Western Europe, Glasius and Berenschot explore how the super-rich shape politics, public debate, and democratic institutions, and what this means for the future of democracy worldwide.

After their lectures, they will engage in conversation and discussion with the audience.

📅 Tuesday 2 June 2026
🕞 15:30 – 17:00
📍 CREA Music Hall
🍷 Drinks & informal discussion from 17:00 – 18:00

𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘺𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴.

🎥 Please note: there will be no livestream available. A video recording will be published afterwards in the AISSR Lecture Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8roVYSOmToXQI0yeVqeV6equdqaks_EY

📝 Register now to join the lecture and conversation: https://aissr.uva.nl/content/events/2026/06/aissr-lecture-marlies-glasius--ward-berenschot.html?origin=KUHyM4f8RLeh6D4937fo2A

👏 Congratulations to political scientist Tom van der Meer on being elected as a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW - Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen), the Netherlands’ national academy for science and one of the country’s most prestigious scientific institutions. New members are selected on the basis of outstanding scientific achievements and societal impact. Van der Meer will be officially installed on 28 September 2026.

🌟 The KNAW describes Van der Meer as “the Netherlands’ best-known political scientist and one of the leading scholars of his generation.” His research focuses on the relationship between citizens and the state, including political trust, democratic values, legitimacy, and electoral behaviour.

The Academy also highlights his strong contribution to public debate, policymaking, and democratic reflection through media appearances, publications, and public engagement. A wonderful and well-deserved recognition of his work and impact 👏

🔗 Read more about the elected new members: https://www.knaw.nl/en/news/knaw-elects-sixteen-new-members

📸 Photo: Guido Benschop

𝗠𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗡𝗪𝗔 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗺

👏 We are proud to share that AISSR anthropologist Alana Helberg-Proctor (University of Amsterdam) has been awarded €3.3 million through the Dutch Research Agenda (NWA) for the project 𝘚𝘭𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵: 𝘋𝘶𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵-𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵.

The NWA, funded by NWO (Dutch Research Council), brings together researchers and society to tackle key societal questions. Led by Helberg-Proctor, this large international consortium will investigate how the Netherlands’ history of slavery and colonialism continues to shape contemporary societies, and explore pathways for recognition and repair from the perspectives of descendant and indigenous communities across Suriname, the Caribbean, South Africa, Indonesia, and the Netherlands.

Despite growing public attention, these legacies remain underexamined in academic research and public debate. This project aims to address that gap and contribute to both scientific knowledge and societal understanding.

🗨️ '𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘕𝘞𝘈 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵, 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘱 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘋𝘶𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘢.'

A powerful and timely project, and a major step forward for research at the intersection of history, inequality, and social justice. Congratulations Alana and all consortium partners!

📎 Read more: https://aissr.uva.nl/shared/uva/en/news/news/2026/04/nwa-grants-millions-for-research-into-lasting-impacts-of-dutch-slavery-and-colonialism.html?origin=%2ByxIdW4bRwCjN8rZP%2BdJdA

🔍 𝗜𝗠𝗣𝗨𝗟𝗦𝗘 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 | 𝗥𝗼𝗯𝗯𝗶𝗻 𝗝𝗮𝗻 𝘃𝗮𝗻 𝗗𝘂𝗶𝗷𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗵𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗶𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱

🥵 What happens when the human body can no longer cool itself down while working in extreme heat?

🔦 In a new IMPULSE Spotlight, we highlight the work of Robbin Jan van Duijne, Assistant Professor of Human Geography at the AISSR and University of Amsterdam.

Funded through an AISSR IMPULSE grant, his research examines how rising heat and humidity affect the human body. And what this means for people who must work outdoors in some of the world’s hottest regions.

As temperatures increase, so does humidity, making it harder for the body to regulate heat. By combining physiological measurements in the field with climate projections, the project aims to understand what “safe work” looks like under increasingly extreme conditions.

💬 ‘I study what extreme heat + humidity together do to the human body, especially for people who have to work outdoors.’

From fieldwork in rural India to long-term climate analysis, the research connects environmental change to urgent questions about labour, health, and inequality.

🔗 Read the full IMPULSE Spotlight article: https://aissr.uva.nl/content/news/2026/04/impulse-spotlight-robbin-jan-van-duijne.html?origin=%2ByxIdW4bRwCjN8rZP%2BdJdA

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴? 𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆

After a long and influential career as professor of sociology at our Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research & University of Amsterdam / Universiteit van Amsterdam, public intellectual, and director of the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study NIAS - KNAW, Jan Willem Duyvendak will deliver his valedictory lecture next week. A moment to reflect on his work and to mark his departure!

📅 24 April 2026
🕟 16:30 – 18:30
📍 Aula Lutherse Kerk
🔗 The valedictory lecture can also be followed live here: https://hva-uva.cloud.panopto.eu/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=1a226698-b76c-463e-83a4-b40400a800a7

In this lecture, Jan Willem Duyvendak reflects on the role of emotion in shaping ideas of nationhood and belonging. While emotions can drive progressive change, he argues that recent political dynamics, particularly on the radical right, have amplified feelings like fear and resentment.

One notable exception is the idea of “feeling at home”: a seemingly positive emotion that often raises a more difficult question: who is actually allowed to belong?

He also challenges common assumptions about polarization and inequality in the Netherlands. Rather than reflecting a growing divide, the rise in protests may signal that more people feel empowered to act politically. At the same time, inequality has not necessarily increased (beyond wealth), but public sensitivity to it has, shaping how it is perceived.

Finally, Jan Willem offers a different perspective on support for the radical right: not rooted in actual loss, but in a widespread fear of losing what people already have.

𝗪𝗶𝗷 𝘇𝗼𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿!

Ben jij een ervaren leidinggevende met een open, coachende stijl? Kun je complexe financiële en organisatorische vraagstukken vertalen naar heldere processen? En heb je affiniteit met sociaal-wetenschappelijk onderzoek? Dan zijn we op zoek naar jou.

Bij het Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research (AISSR) zoeken we een Managing Director die een sleutelrol speelt in de organisatie van ons instituut.

In deze functie:

💠 Geef je leiding aan ons betrokken AISSR-bureau, een team van 19 collega’s.
💠 Zorg je er samen met dit team voor dat onze onderzoekers optimaal ondersteund worden in hun werk.
💠 Verbind je inhoudelijke ambities met financiële en organisatorische kaders.
💠 Werk je nauw samen met de wetenschappelijk directeur en het bestuur Sociale Wetenschappen.

Je komt te werken in een groot, internationaal onderzoeksinstituut binnen de Faculteit UvA Maatschappij & Gedrag (FMG) van de Universiteit van Amsterdam (University of Amsterdam), waar uiteenlopende disciplines samenkomen en maatschappelijke vraagstukken centraal staan.

𝘚𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘬𝘢𝘯 𝘵/𝘮 3 𝘮𝘦𝘪 2026

📎 Bekijk de volledige vacature en solliciteer via de UvA-website: https://werkenbij.uva.nl/vacatures/managing-director-amsterdam-institute-for-social-science-research-netherlands-14976

🔍 𝗜𝗠𝗣𝗨𝗟𝗦𝗘 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 | 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗞𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁

How can we teach colonial history in ways that move beyond guilt or closure, and instead open up space for imagining more just futures?

🔦 In a new IMPULSE Spotlight, we highlight the work of Line Kuppens, Assistant Professor of Conflict Studies at the AISSR and University of Amsterdam.

Funded through our AISSR IMPULSE grant, her research explores how students in the Netherlands and Belgium engage with colonial pasts through a futures-oriented classroom approach.

Rather than treating colonial history as a closed chapter, students are invited to imagine what it would take for societies to genuinely address the legacies of colonialism, encouraging critical reflection on justice, reconciliation, and collective responsibility.

💬 'Instead of teaching colonial history as a closed ‘dark’ chapter, I ask students to imagine a future in which countries like the Netherlands and Belgium have genuinely addressed its legacies, and what justice and reconciliation would actually require.'

From classroom experiments to a public exhibition, the project connects education, research, and societal debate in new ways.

🔗 Read the full IMPULSE Spotlight article: https://aissr.uva.nl/content/news/2026/03/impulse-spotlight-line-kuppens.html?origin=%2ByxIdW4bRwCjN8rZP%2BdJdA

👩‍🎓 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗿: 𝗟𝗶𝘇𝗮 𝗠𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆

We are proud to share that Liza Mugge has been appointed Professor of Politics of Diversity at our University of Amsterdam. Congratulations, Liza! 👏

Mugge’s work sits at the intersection of political science, gender studies, and migration research. She examines how diversity and inequality shape democratic representation, and why inclusive democracies require the voices and experiences of all citizens.

🗨️ As she puts it: 'Diversity is indispensable for our democracy.'

At the AISSR, Mugge leads the Politics of Diversity research group, focusing on topics such as intersectionality, political representation, and the dynamics of inclusion and exclusion in contemporary societies. Her research shows that diversity is not just a matter of fairness, but essential for the quality and resilience of democratic systems.

With an impressive track record, including major NWO (Dutch Research Council) grants such as Veni, Vidi, and Vici, her work continues to push forward both academic debate and public understanding of democracy in diverse societies.

🔗 Read all about her appointment and vision: https://www.uva.nl/en/shared-content/faculteiten/en/faculteit-der-maatschappij-en-gedragswetenschappen/news/2026/03/liza-mugge-diversity-is-indispensable-for-our-democracy.html

⚡ 𝗔 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴

Moving away from gas is often framed as a technical challenge. But as researcher Imrat Verhoeven, associate professor of Governance and Public Policy at our University of Amsterdam / Universiteit van Amsterdam and special professor at the Hogeschool van Amsterdam - HvA (Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences), shows, the energy transition is first and foremost about people: their homes, routines, finances and trust in institutions.

In the collaborative research project 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲, Verhoeven combines academic research with close collaboration with practice partners to make the energy transition fairer and more effective, particularly in vulnerable neighbourhoods.

💬 '𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 '𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯', 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘴: ‘𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶?’

A successful example from Rotterdam shows that when residents feel seen and heard, trust grows, and change accelerates. Although the success in Rotterdam does not mean that the same approach will work everywhere. Each neighbourhood is different. Technical options vary, as do social circumstances and the level of trust between residents and institutions. ‘𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘥. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘴𝘬: 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦?'

🔗 Read the full interview: https://aissr.uva.nl/shared/faculteiten/en/faculteit-der-maatschappij-en-gedragswetenschappen/news/2026/02/just-prepare-listening-to-residents.html?origin=%2ByxIdW4bRwCjN8rZP%2BdJdA