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Gertjan Plets is an Associate Professor at Utrecht University, specializing in cultural history and heritage studies. His research focuses on how various actors, including grassroots organizations and corporations, mobilize heritage to shape new societal norms and ideas, particularly in the context of climate justice and decolonization. He examines the role of cultural heritage in addressing critical social issues, advocating for reflexive engagements with the past to foster resilient and equitable futures. Plets is the principal investigator of significant projects, such as the EU-Horizon project COLUMN and PITCH, where he leads collaborations aiming to advance heritage studies. His research includes extensive ethnographic studies in the Altai Republic, exploring the interactions between heritage and Indigenous identities. He has also examined the implications of oil and gas companies in heritage funding and the promotion of environmental awareness. His contribution to the field includes supervising PhD students and engaging in active archaeological research, receiving grants to study Roman heritage in the Netherlands. Plets is committed to building new narratives and inclusivity in the heritage sector, recognizing the long-term impacts of historical narratives on society.
Department of Psychology