Susan Legene

Prof. Susan Legene is a Full Professor at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, holding dual appointments in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (Department of Art and Culture, History, Antiquity) and the Network Institute. Her research focuses on colonialism, decolonisation, cultural heritage, and UNESCO policies, with a particular emphasis on museum collections and societal reconciliation. She leads major projects like Pressing Matter (NWA/NWO 2021–2025), addressing colonial heritage ownership, and Colonial Normativity (2019–2025), exploring corruption and difference in imperial histories.

• Research Expertise: Colonialism, migration histories, historiography, e-humanities
• Awards: DIVE+ Prize for Digital Humanities (2017)
• Key Projects: UNESCO policy analysis, ancestral remains repatriation, transnational life-writing

Her work intersects with policy-making, advising Dutch ministries on decolonial heritage frameworks and serving on boards like the NWO Supervisory Committee for Colonial Context Collections. She has supervised 21 PhD theses and collaborates internationally across disciplines.