Upcoming Events
National Symposium Cultural Heritage and Identity
On 28 May 2026, we warmly invite staff and stakeholders from across the field to participate in a national symposium organised in the context of the Sectorplan Cultural Heritage and Identiy at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. The event will bring together researchers and partners to reflect on the future direction of the sector plan and to co-design the research agenda for the coming three years.
The symposium will place the recently launched National Agenda for Heritage Research at the center of discussion. As the Sector Plan Cultural Heritage and Identity is currently undergoing a midterm review as part of the broader evaluation of sector plans in the Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) domain, this moment offers an opportunity to bring together the research community from different universities. We will explore whether and how the National Agenda for Heritage Research can help guide the development of the sector plan in the years ahead.
The recently launched national research agenda Heritage Research Gaining Momentum (Erfgoedonderzoek in stroomversnelling) will serve as a source of inspiration.
Programme
– 12:00 – drop-in lunch (optional)
– 13:00–13:45 – Start with plenary session, with:
- Welcome by Gregor Halff, dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities of VU Amsterdam
- Gert-Jan Burgers (VU), aims and programme of the symposium
- Linde Egberts (RCE), presentation of Heritage Research Gaining Momentum. National Research Agenda 2026-2030
- Aafke Hulk (member of the evaluation committee), presentation of the midterm review report
– 13:45–14:00 – Coffee break
– 14:00–15:00 – First round of (parallel) working sessions (rooms to be announced)
- participants will organically cluster around 8 tables based on current heritage research agendas. The themes should be understood as starting points for inspiration and discussion.
– 15:00-15:15 – Coffee break
– 15:15–16:00 – Second round of (parallel) working sessions (rooms to be announced)
- tables remain fixed; participants may rotate or stay. The goal is to allow researchers to explore additional topics.
– 16:15–17:00 – Closing plenary session
- key insights from the working sessions (chairs of each table report back)
– 17:00 – Drinks
Working sessions/tables
- Climate change
- Digital (r)evolution
- Multivocality
- Heritage in conflict
- Homeless heritage
- Resilient heritage system
- Impact and societal collaborations
- Colonial heritage and history
The event is free, but registration is mandatory. Please register here.
For more information, see here: https://vu.nl/en/events/2026/symposium-of-the-sector-plan-cultural-heritage-and-identity
Please also fill out this survey to support discussion during the working sessions:
Contact: afdelingensecretariaat.sgw@vu.nl
Readings
About the sector plans of the Social Sciences and Humanities Council: Sectorplans | SSH-counsil
About the sector plan Cultural Heritage and Identity: Theme 2: Cultural Heritage & Identity | SSH-counsil
About the national agenda Heritage Research Gaining Momentum / in Dutch
