Francio Guadeloupe officially accepts chair of Kingdom Relations with inaugural lecture on March 12

THE HAGUE--Professor Francio Guadeloupe, endowed professor of Public Anthropology of Kingdom Relations, will deliver his inaugural lecture at the University of Amsterdam on Thursday, March 12, 2026. He will deliver this inaugural lecture to accept the Chair of the same name, funded by the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK). Guadeloupe, born in Aruba, works for the Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies (KITLV) and the University of Amsterdam. His research focuses on how people in different parts of the Kingdom shape their lives, often moving around, and what this means for their identity.

Research

During his inaugural lecture, titled "Reweaving Dutch Caribbean Studies," Guadeloupe delves deeper into the various components of his research. He introduces people he's spoken with and asks them about their identities. For example, an European Dutch woman he meets on a plane from Amsterdam to Bonaire. Or an Aruban woman who has re-emigrated to Aruba and now works in the tourism sector, where she comes into contact with Venezuelan staff. He is critical of how these Latin American workers are perceived and treated, and of the all-consuming tourism industry and its impact on the various islands.

Inequality

As an anthropologist, Guadeloupe focuses on four areas of research, all related to how people live together, connect with each other, and with the different continents. Like a loom from which new fabric is constantly emerging: “Dismantling and reweaving the Kingdom is a contribution to reforming our far too unequal society.” This is how he concludes his inaugural lecture. Over the next four years, his research will focus on this and will be conducted from both the Netherlands and the Caribbean islands.

Film

As part of the Chair, Guadeloupe recently produced an anthropological film entitled "Changá" ("Double Game"), which premiered last January in Aruba and Curaçao. The film takes the viewer along a rhythm of the philosophy of dominoes: how do people respond to what life hands them? Here, too, the theme of identity is prominent. “Through Changá, we discuss the sense of belonging of Dutch Caribbean citizens in the Netherlands, so to what extent the Netherlands is (also) their home,” says Guadeloupe.

Chair

The chair in "Public Anthropology of Kingdom Relations" was established in 2024 by the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations. It is a collaboration between the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), the Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies (KITLV), and the University of Amsterdam (UvA).

With his inaugural lecture on March 12, Guadeloupe will formally accept his position as newly appointed endowed professor. As usual, the inaugural lecture will be attended by other professors, all wearing robes.

Supervisory Committee

The supervisory committee for the chair, also known as the Curatorium, consists of chair Marja Spierenburg, professor of anthropology of sustainable development and livelihoods at Leiden University; Gert Oostindie, emeritus professor of colonial and postcolonial history at Leiden University; Tom Louwerse, associate professor of political science and research director of the Institute of Political Science at Leiden University; and René Bagchus, director of Kingdom Relations at the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, as an advisory member.

Knowledge Development

Barbera Wolfensberger, Director-General of Kingdom Relations at the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, emphasizes the importance of the chair. “The chair that Francio Guadeloupe holds is crucial for knowledge development in and about the Kingdom. Because the more we know about each other, the better we understand each other. It is this connection, including with the diaspora, that makes our Kingdom strong. I am very much looking forward to the results of Francio’s research.”

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