Prof.dr. B.G.J. (Bob) de Graaff (1955) studied contemporary history at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam (1974-1979). After his graduation he taught in the same discipline at the same university for one year (1979-1980). He then taught political  history at the Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam (EUR) (1980-1987), and Japanese history and history of international relations in Pacific Asia in the Department for Economic Studies of the same university (1987-1999). He also worked as a researcher at the Institute of Netherlands History in The Hague (1987-1999). From 1999 till 2002 he was coordinator at the Netherlands Instute for War Documentation for the investigation into the events leading up to, during and after the fall  of the UN declared safe area Srebrenica. From 2000 he was also associate professor for the history of international relations at the University of Utrecht, from 2005 in the additional capacity of Socrates-professor for political and cultural reconstruction. From 2007 till 2009 he worked as professor for terrorism and counterterrorism at the Campus The Hague of Leiden University. Since March 2011 he is employed at the University of Utrecht as professor for history specializing in intelligence and security. He has a similar chair at the Netherlands Defense Academy in Breda since the fall of 2010.