Michel Doortmont

Michel Doortmont is a Professor of International Relations and African Studies at the University of Groningen, holding the title of Reader with ius promovendi. He is affiliated with the Faculty of Arts and the Department of International Relations and International Organisation. His academic career includes roles as a Visiting Reader in African Studies at Leiden University (honorary) and as a postdoctoral researcher funded by WOTRO. He holds a Ph.D. in History/Social Anthropology from Erasmus University Rotterdam (1994), an M.A. in African Studies from the University of Birmingham (1985), and prior degrees from Erasmus University Rotterdam.

His research focuses on African Studies, International Relations, and Development Studies, with a particular emphasis on cultural heritage, non-Western history, and Dutch colonial policies. Notable expertise includes the history of European expansion, the transatlantic slave trade, and Ghana-Dutch relations. He has authored over 140 publications, including books and articles on topics such as African-European interactions, historical preservation, and genealogical studies.

Doortmont is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and actively involved in academic editorial work, including co-editing the book series African Sources for African History. He has contributed to projects like the Elmina Cultural Heritage Management Programme and serves on committees for institutions like ICOMOS and the Royal Netherlands Society for Genealogy and Heraldry.

His advising and grants include supervising students in African and Dutch colonial history, with notable projects funded by WOTRO and the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). He has also collaborated on initiatives like the Gold Coast DataBase and historical preservation efforts in Ghana, including studies on forts and castles.