My research has always been deeply rooted in curiosity. Even in my first papers I was looking for questions that would provide new insights into the relationship between geography and history. I am also really enthusiastic about making this knowledge available to a broader public. Primarily because the preservation of (landscape) heritages is dependent on the familiarity with and the respect of a larger public. I am convinced that information and knowledge can contribute to this respect and appreciation.
Thesis supervisor History of Architecture and Urban Planning - Technical University Delft [TUD] (2019-2020)
Thesis supervisor Cultural Heritage and Planning - Wageningen University [WUR] (2017)
Lecture European Consultancy Project - Wageningen University [WUR] (2016)
Thirty Masters students of different nationalities and disciplines carried out a consultancy project for the Planning Department of the municipality of Prague. I gave lectures about stakeholder-, policy- and data-analysis and I provided (individual) feedback on the basis of the report and the role of the students in the project.
Journal of Historical Geography (Dutch) [THG] (2016 to present day)
THG is het Nederlandse wetenschappelijke tijdschrift voor historische geografie en gerelateerde disciplines zoals archeologie, architectuur- en stadsgeschiedenis en planologie. Het bouwt voort op de dertigjarige traditie van het voormalig Historisch Geografisch Tijdschrift.
Historisch Geografische Vereniging te Utrecht [HGVU] (2013-2020)
De HGVU is de Nederlandse vakvereniging voor historische geografie. De vereniging is opgericht in 1980 en gevestigd in Utrecht. Ik ben verantwoordelijk voor de website en draag bij aan het lezingenprogramma en beleid in brede zin.
Atlas of Mutual Heritage [AMH] (2014-2016)
The AMH is an online academic catalogue of cartographic sources of the VOC and WIC (United East and West Indian Companies) in the former Dutch overseas territories. It is a project in which the National Archives, The National Agency for Cultural Heritage, the National Museum and the Royal Library cooperate. (2014-2016)
‘The Costs and Benefits of Microfinance’ - Universiteit Utrecht/KNAW (2010-2011)
The Costs and Benefits of Microfinance. Utrecht University/KNAW (2010-2011). The Dutch Royal Academy of Science (KNAW) initiated this interdisciplinary research project to stimulate students in
their research careers. The objective was to determine to what extent microcredit had contributed to reducing poverty in the past. I prepared 1500 property inventories with 600,000 objects as
input to assess the relation between microfinance and other assets.
After I decided to specialise in historical geography, I followed extra university courses in diverse and related subjects. Here you can download a complete overview of the academic courses I took and the subjects of my papers. The most important parts of my study were:
Doctorate program:
Here you can find the full overview of all my university courses and paper subjects.
Best thesis 2010 – 2014 Fryske Akademy – Dutch Royal Academy of Sciences for Master’s thesis.
Click here for the laureate (in Dutch).
Thematically, I am especially interested in the geography of infrastructures and commodities, the history of hydrology, the colonial heritage, military history and historical mapping in the broadest sense. In order to make my knowledge socially relevant I take part in commissions and carry out advisory work.
Advisory Commission "Quality of the Living Environment" - Province of Utrecht [PCL] (2016-2017)
This Commission provides advice – whether asked for or not - to the provincial governance of Utrecht about subjects relating to the quality of the living environment. As a young researcher I contributed to two themes. On the one hand the future of peat pasture areas in the context of continuous land subsidence. This advice was put into film. I also contributed to a report regarding the challenge of building vacancies. My personal position was: He who does not know his past cannot chose for a sustainable future.
UNESCO – workgroup Netherlands Youth Council [NJR] (2014-2016)
As a member of the UNESCO NJR workgroup I supported UNESCO youth representatives. The objective was to increase awareness about UNESCO amongst young people and to give them a voice in important themes such as heritage. For the high school game I developed a question about how Aboriginals dealt with their landscape as a way of illustrating the importance of (im)material heritage.
Academic Supervisory Commission Veritas history
In the Aeterna Veritas project, the history of this student union was investigated. My participation was motivated by my fascinated of how the organisation functioned in the past and how “traditions” stay the same in name, while they can change considerably in content and structure.
Contribution to the Work Group Memory of the World
As an extremely modest spin-off from the NJR-UNESCO Commission, for a short period of time I contributed about developing submission indicators for digital heritage as part of the Memory of the
World.
CENTER FOR
GLOBAL HERITAGE AND DEVELOPMENT
INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL ON MONUMENTS AND SITES (ICOMOS)
DUTCH SOCIETY FOR AGRICULTURAL HISTORY