The Dutch colonization of Indonesia involved widespread enslavement practices and forced labor, varying greatly by region and often remaining underexplored. This research project aims to uncover this hidden history, particularly beyond Java, and investigate its lasting impact on contemporary Indonesian society and culture. By analyzing diverse sources and collaborating with Indonesian researchers and communities, the project seeks to create a more complete picture of Dutch colonial practices and contribute to broader discussions about historical injustices and the legacies of colonialism in both the Netherlands and Indonesia.

The research project seeks to investigate continuing colonial frameworks of knowledge about cultural objects and their histories and explore new frameworks to research and knowledge of cultural objects collected in colonial situations. Objects looted as war booty from the Cakranegara palace in Lombok, Indonesia, in 1894 serves to investigate the dynamics of the existing historical framework through an analysis of language, discourse, and historiography in both countries. The research will explore objects of the Lombok war booty as windows through which memories and histories of their original values and meanings can be viewed.

De Dubois-collectie, met haar beroemde ‘Javamens’-fossielen, heeft grote wetenschappelijke waarde, maar heeft door haar koloniale oorsprongsgeschiedenis een omstreden betekenis. Dit project ontwikkelt een theoretisch kader voor dergelijke koloniale paleoantropologische collecties, terwijl het tegelijkertijd de ‘Javamens’ fossielen nieuwe wetenschappelijke context geeft. Bevordering van wederzijds begrip onder belanghebbenden vermindert spanningen en vergemakkelijkt wetenschappelijke samenwerking. Ons onderzoek levert informatie aan museum tentoonstellingen en mediakanalen, met de nadruk op de koloniale geschiedenis, uiteenlopende betekenissen en wetenschappelijke relevantie van deze fossielen. Gelijktijdig versterken investeringen in Indonesische expertise en infrastructuur de vakgebieden wetenschapsgeschiedenis en paleoantropologie en bevorderen ze de academische gelijkheid van Nederland en Indo

Small, low priced, fish - either dried, fresh or conserved – are vital for the nutritional security of poor people in rural areas in Indonesia and are an important source of livelihood for millions of coastal fishing families and – often female – processers and traders. Due to climatological changes and market challenges (i.e. increased catch fluctuations and processing of small fish for fish meal) the supply of affordable small fish is under threat. Meanwhile, changing diets and food programs affect the demand for small fish. Considering these fluctuations in supply and demand, IKAN–F3 aims to study the food system that services low-income consumers in three selected rural regions in Indonesia with the aim of improving their quality, resilience and scope. It builds on ongoing research on this topic in various parts of the world, and aims to develop innovative insights and lessons relevant to Indonesia.