“Een nieuwe lente, een nieuw geluid” (english: Spring is in the Air) is a Dutch saying that is quite applicable to the 2011 issue of the NIAS Newsletter. The new rector, Aafke Hulk, arrived at NIAS just before the 2010/11 year-group and with that she introduced a new tradition: the “intake” and “exit” interview between the rector and every fellow. She also began writing a new policy plan for 2011-2014, which addressed among other things: more emphasis on theme groups and on workshops; more explicit links to internationally operating top research groups in the Netherlands; focus on specific topics during the coming years; more diversity in gender, age and geographical origin among the fellows.
More than in the past, NIAS must become a platform for new initiatives, ignite debates and provide the optimal setting for the discussion of issues and new developments – particularly at the crossroads of the Humanities, Social and Natural Sciences. For example, Guest of Rector, Jaap van den Herik, was given the opportunity to organize a lively brainstorm
session about the e-Humanities. This topic is also addressed in this Newsletter by Michiel van Dusseldorp, who talks about e-Humanities projects at NIAS.
“Spring is in the Air” is also the topic of the article in this Newsletter by Fellow Bernard Bouwman, who talks about the development of Islamic modernity in Turkey. Yet, change and a fresh start are almost always accompanied by looking back. Fellow Ann Rigney discusses here book on how Walter Scott and his works were remembered and for how long. Gary Schwartz writes about his research into the successes and struggles of Dutch painters at the Persian Safavid court during the seventeenth century.
Content
- “Een nieuwe lente, een nieuw geluid” Spring is in the air (pg. 3) – Aafke Hulk
- NIAS News (pg. 5)
- The NIAS Website: Source of Information (pg. 10)
- NFA Members: NIAS needs You! (pg. 11)
- NIAS and e-Humanities (pg. 13) – Michiel van Dusseldorp
- A Laboratory of Islamic Modernity: Turkey and Islam (pg. 16) – Bernard Bouwman
- Remembering and Forgetting Walter Scott (pg. 19) – Ann Rigney
- Dutch Painters to the Persian Shahs (pg. 23) – Gary Schwartz
- Research Group 2011/12 (pg. 28)
- Books written at NIAS (pg. 31)
- Appointments and Awards (pg. 33)
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