“Dutch history was invented in the nineteenth century.”
Research focus: Current social developments in historical perspective, Modern Dutch history, post-war history of the Netherlands
James Kennedy (1963) is Professor of Modern Dutch History at the Faculty of Humanities and Distinguished University Professor with a special assignment on community engaged learning at Utrecht University. He was Dean of University College Utrecht between 2015 and 2020.
Expertise on postwar history
His expertise is postwar history, in the first instance the Netherlands but also with an eye to transnational and comparative perspectives. The general focus is on the intersection of political, social and cultural history of this period, with a particular interest in the ethical dimensions of policy and its relationship to society. This has translated into books and grants into the following themes:
- Cultural change of “the Sixties”
- History of euthanasia
- Changes in civil society and citizenship
- Anticorruption strategies
- Church-state relations
- History of drugs policy
- Community Engaged Learning
Chairman of the Canon of the Netherlands
James Kennedy was chairman of the committee that recently presented the renewed Canon of the Netherlands on icons of Dutch history. The Canon has fifty windows: important persons, objects and events that together tell the story of the historical and cultural development of the Netherlands. The Canon is primarily intended for educational purposes.
In addition to this, he has undertaken the challenge of promoting Community Engaged Learning (CEL), which has become a strategic initiative of the university. As head of the CEL task force, he helps shape programming and support for this form of education.
Chair
Modern Dutch History; Community Engaged Learning (CEL)
Inaugural lecture date
14.11.2022