Gertjan Plets

Dr. Gertjan Plets is an Associate Professor of Cultural History and Heritage at Utrecht University's Department of History and Art History (Faculty of Humanities). His research focuses on how diverse actors—grassroots organizations, corporations, and governments—mobilize heritage to shape societal structures. He explores heritage's role in climate justice, decolonization, and corporate influence, with primary fieldwork in Groningen and Siberia.

Key projects include leading EU Horizon projects (COLUMN, PITCH) and the NWA-ORC 'Constructing the Limes' consortium. He supervises three PhD students and actively promotes heritage studies at Utrecht, emphasizing reflexive engagement with the past. His work spans cultural politics in Siberia, the Roman Limes' archaeology, and the decolonization of academic heritage.

• Education: PhD in Cultural History (Ghent University, 2013), postdoc at Stanford University.
• Grants & Projects: EU Horizon grants, NWA-National Science Agenda funding, and international collaborations.

His research bridges archaeology and heritage activism, addressing contemporary issues like climate change and resource extraction's cultural impacts. He advocates for inclusive curation of contested heritage, collaborating with citizen scientists and policymakers to develop sustainable strategies.