Education Research Current About VU Amsterdam NL
Login as
Prospective student Student Employee
Bachelor Master VU for Professionals
Exchange programme VU Amsterdam Summer School Honours programme VU-NT2 Semester in Amsterdam
PhD at VU Amsterdam Research highlights Prizes and distinctions
Research institutes Our scientists Research Impact Support Portal Creating impact
News Events calendar Biodiversity at VU Amsterdam
Israël and Palestinian regions Culture on campus
Practical matters Mission and core values Entrepreneurship on VU Campus
Governance Partnerships Alumni University Library Working at VU Amsterdam
Sorry! De informatie die je zoekt, is enkel beschikbaar in het Engels.
This programme is saved in My Study Choice.
Something went wrong with processing the request.
Something went wrong with processing the request.

dr. Geert Somsen


Associate Professor, Faculty of Science, Athena Institute

Associate Professor, Network Institute

Personal information

Geert Somsen is Associate Professor in the History of Knowledge at the Athena Institute. Splitting his job with Maastricht University. He has held visiting positions at Columbia University, Uppsala Universitet, the University of California, San Diego, and research institutes in Berlin and Rome. Most recently he received the Röhm and Haas fellowship at the Science History Institute in Philadelphia.

Somsen was PhD training coordinator at the Netherlands Graduate School for Science and Technology Studies, WTMC. He was jury member and chair of the Reingold Prize of the History of Science Society. He is co-founder and editor-in-chief of the Journal for the History of Knowledge.

Besides his academic work, Somsen writes opinion pieces for Dutch national newspapers as well as international magazines, such as Times Higher Education. He is a regular speaker at Studium Generale programs and has recently been involved in a podcast audio production.

Research

Somsen's research focuses on international dimensions of science over the past two centuries. He has widely published in the top journals of his field on scientific internationalism, the belief that science can be a model for peaceful cooperation. Besides, he is interested in how scientists perform international relations. He has recently finished a European-funded collaborative project called The Scientific Conference: A Social, Cultural, and Political History. He is currently turning his gaze to the legacy of European imperialism in international science.

Teaching

Somsen's teaching moves between history of knowledge, international history, and science and technology studies. He has taught widely in undergraduate and graduate programs and has been program director at BA, MA, and PhD levels as well. Outside of the Netherlands he has lectured and taught master classes at Columbia, Uppsala, and the National Research University in Moscow.

Ancillary activities

No ancillary activities

Ancillary activities are updated daily

dr. Geert Somsen

Research and Publications VU

Research/publications Amsterdam UMC

Quick links

Homepage Culture on campus VU Sports Centre Dashboard

Study

Academic calendar Study guide Timetable Canvas

Featured

VUfonds VU Magazine Ad Valvas Digital accessibility

About VU

Contact us Working at VU Amsterdam Faculties Divisions
Privacy Disclaimer Safety Web Colophon Cookie Settings Web Archive

Copyright © 2025 - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam