Universities do many things well. They develop knowledge, educate people and contribute to solutions for major societal challenges. Larissa Schulte Nordholt, a historian at WUR, would like to add something to that. On 6 March, WUR's Dies Natalis, she will show that more perspectives are needed to fully understand that role.
WUR was founded in 1876, in the midst of the era of Dutch colonial expansion. Its ties with plantation economies in Indonesia and Suriname were no coincidence. The institution and the people who worked there also produced knowledge that helped sustain the colonial administration. But those people are not the same as those who work and study there today. "The history of exclusion and injustice is not a side note to WUR's history of achievement. It is part of it. Acknowledging that is not the same as assigning blame."
The agricultural science developed in that colonial context presented itself as objective and universal. Yet it was shaped by plantation systems, racial hierarchies and an extractive economy. Indigenous knowledge, Larissa's research shows, was used, erased or dismissed as inferior. When that knowledge was institutionalised as neutral science, much of what had made it possible receded into the background.
After the independence of Indonesia and Suriname, colonial expertise did not disappear. It was rebranded as international development cooperation. The political systems changed, but the underlying structures partly remained intact.
Schulte Nordholt is not arguing for a rejection of WUR's international role. On the contrary, the 2025-2028 strategic plan calls on staff and students to reflect and take responsibility. According to Schulte Nordholt, that ambition begins with honesty about the foundations on which it rests.
"As an institution, WUR carries a colonial past. The people who work and study here now are not responsible for it. But they can take responsibility for what they do with it. That is precisely what responsible changemakers do."
Larissa is not the only speaker during the Dies Natalis. Lecturer Bert Bruins will consider what it means to bring about responsible change, and Professor Aarti Gupta will explore how WUR can further strengthen its international role. Two early-career researchers will demonstrate how, as responsible changemakers, they are already making an impact through research that addresses global challenges.
Celebrate Dies Natalis with us!
On Friday 6 March 2026, 15:00-17:00hrs, Wageningen University & Research celebrates its 108th Dies Natalis. This year's theme 'WUR in the World: Past, Present, and Future'.
