4TU.History of Technology Centre is a hub for collaboration, innovation, and knowledge sharing. It offers young and early-career scholars a space to connect, experiment, and grow. Following the kick-off event four young scholars reflect on the possible role of the centre. Read the impressions of Hadi El Hage (TU-Delft), Daniel Gallardo Albarrán (Wageningen University), Maliene Kip (TU-Eindhoven), and Efi Nakopoulou (Twente University).
Hadi El Hage
(PhD Student Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, TU Delft)
The newly launched 4TU Centre between 4 technical universities of the Netherlands is a dynamic hub for collaboration, innovation, and knowledge sharing, offering young and early-career scholars a space to connect, experiment, and grow. By bridging diverse academic fields and research traditions, the Centre fosters interdisciplinary approaches to tackle today’s most pressing challenges. It encourages historians and researchers to think beyond conventional boundaries—exploring new methodologies, crafting compelling narratives, and reaching wider audiences.
Within the many discussions and workshops held on the 6th of December between the new members of the Centre, many scholars showed a lot of interest to partner up among themselves and with museums, archives, and libraries. Young scholars are keen on learning and connecting with senior researchers, and professors to be inspired and learn about their path and career journeys. Thus, the Centre aspires to breathe life into historical research. Instead of confining knowledge to academic journals, it champions creative formats like exhibitions and public projects that engage society and make complex topics both accessible and impactful. By addressing themes such as architecture, agriculture, energy, digital transitions, and decolonization, the Centre provides a shared space for exploring ideas, exchanging teaching practices, and contributing to policy discussions that shape the future.
More than just a platform, the 4TU Centre is a connector—bringing together universities, cultural institutions, and external partners. Through workshops, publications, and collaborative networks, it amplifies research and sparks interdisciplinary solutions to “wicked problems.” By promoting open archives, digital experimentation, and cross-disciplinary teaching, the Centre empowers young scholars to innovate, connect, and ensure history remains a vibrant, relevant force in a changing world.
Daniel Gallardo Albarrán
(Assistant Professor Economic and Environmental History Group, Wageningen University)
The kick-off event of the new 4TU Centre History of Technology took place on Friday 6 December. As a mid-career researcher (assistant professor at Wageningen University), I was quite excited to learn about the motivations and goals of this initiative during a day full of interesting talks and activities, such as research pitches by young researchers or group discussions on how the centre can support its members.
The centre could prove itself of great value for young scholars in, at least, three ways. The first, and perhaps most obvious one, is by putting together a network of experts interested in various aspects of history, technology and sustainability. The network, in turn, could organize a series of events (e.g. workshops, symposia, meetings) focused on different aspects of conducting research including content, professionalization, internalization, etcetera. Another way in which the centre could support early scholars is by creating activities with added value that they can contribute to. For instance, giving guest lectures focused on the research they are conducting may be useful in accumulating teaching experience, strengthening ties with other 4TU members and creating exposure to other environments. Thirdly, the centre has a unique position to connect with non-academic stakeholders which are usually harder to reach by academic researchers. This ‘intermediary’ role is not just relevant to forge a more competitive profile (via public outreach activities, for instance) but also to connect early researchers with non-academic actors that can in turn provide future employment opportunities.
In sum, the new 4TU Centre History of Technology offers substantial potential for young researchers interested in history, technology and sustainability. For the sake of conciseness, the examples I gave in this short text are illustrative and non-comprehensive, so I would like to emphasize that the promotors of the centre are remarkably open to new ideas and ways of doing things. This means that you can (and should!) contact them to shape future initiatives that can work in your favour and that of your peers.
Maliene Kip
(PhD Student Department Industrial Engineering and Innovation Sciences: Technology, Innovation & Society, TU Eindhoven)
The 4TU-HoT Centre’s event highlighted the urgent need to revitalize and reconnect the History of Technology (HoT) community in the Netherlands. While it was once a stronghold in its field, the Dutch HoT landscape today is fragmented, with scholars sometimes being unaware of each other’s work. The central aim during the launch was to answer questions such as: should the centre attempt to bridge these existing gaps and how would it be able to do so? And how can we collaboratively set a future agenda that addresses pressing societal issues?
One of the defining features of the 4TU-HoT event was its focus on empowering early career scholars. A dedicated session offered a platform to early career scholars, showcasing their research and innovative approaches. The centre’s commitment to amplifying new voices and foster collaboration between scholars at different stages during their careers was emphasized during this session. Another defining moment was the participant-wide discussion on shared values and identities within the HoT community. Attendees grappled with a wide variety of questions like whether defining a unified identity is essential (or if and how diversity itself can be a strength). The event culminated in a World Café, where smaller groups explored pressing themes such as sustainability and agri-food networks and subsequently challenged each other to think creatively about collaboration. This format encouraged open dialogue and innovative ideas, reinforcing the importance of building networks.
Efi Nakopoulou
(Researcher Faculty of Behavioural, Management and Social Sciencesc – Technology: Policy and Society / Knowledge, Transformation and Society, University of Twente)
On Friday 6 December 2024, in Utrecht’s old post office building that is currently a library, the launch for the 4TU History of Technology (HoT) Centre was held.
The need for re-establishing a community for HoT, as well as re-defining what that means and what that entails in the present Dutch landscape, was noted. The Netherlands used to hold a strong position, both in the EU and across the pond in the field, especially in the 1990s. Today the community is at large fragmented and those who are active in the field are largely unfamiliar with each other and others work, especially within the national borders. So, what about the Centre’s role? How can the Centre help the community’s needs? These questions were raised during the Centre’s inaugural event. The answers covered education and teaching, setting up together (bottom-up) the future research agenda ranging from topics such as energy and agriculture to (de)colonization and engagement etc. The key message can perhaps be best captured by the following: “crossing boundaries and connecting”, as Erik van der Vleuten noted. These words stand out from the 4TU-HoT launch event, and perhaps best encapsulate its content. By focusing on our commonalities and shared interests, we can shape a strong community to revitalize the field of History of Technology (HoT) in the Netherlands. The need and appetite for doing so was apparent by the attendance and positive attitude of the participants.