Professor Dr. Betto Van Waarden

Biography

Betto van Waarden is an Assistant Professor in History at Maastricht University, focusing on the history of politics and mass media from the nineteenth to twentieth centuries. His research interests delve into personalization politics, parliamentary communication, the attention economy, and transnational public spheres. Recently, he has expanded his focus to include the intersection of truth and democracy, the relationship between time and politics, and interdisciplinary studies of attention. He holds a BA in Liberal Arts and Sciences from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon, an MPhil in Political Thought and Intellectual History from the University of Cambridge, and a PhD in Political History from KU Leuven. Van Waarden has a rich background in research, having worked as a Marie Curie postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Communication and Media at Lund University and an FWO postdoctoral researcher in the Department of History at KU Leuven. His teaching and research contributions are complemented by his experience as a visiting fellow at institutions such as the University of Toronto and the University of Melbourne. His scholarship has been recognized with the Tom Reilly Award for Excellence in Journalism History Research. He has provided insights on media politics in various publications, including pieces in Le Monde Diplomatique and De Volkskrant, and his forthcoming book, titled 'Politicians and Mass Media in the Age of Empire', will be published by Cambridge University Press.

Research Interests

Experience