Dr. Joost Nikkessen

Biography

Joost Nikkessen is a PhD candidate with a background in museum education and public participation. He was involved in the initial educational programming of Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen, organized queer talks and tours at the Amsterdam Museum, and co-curated exhibitions and participation programs both within and outside the museum. Since January 2024, he has been associated with the Department of History and Art History at Utrecht University. He has taught and coordinated BA and MA courses in modern and contemporary art theory, curating, and museum and heritage studies. Currently, he is working on a doctoral research project within the MESOE project (Multiperspectivistische Erfgoededucatie door Samenwerking tussen Onderwijs en Erfgoedinstellingen), a collaborative project involving Utrecht University, Erasmus University Rotterdam, and a professional learning community. This community consists of teachers and heritage educators from the Utrecht and Rotterdam regions. Through collaboration between schools and heritage institutions, the project aims to share and further develop heritage education knowledge in a super-diverse society. Urban contexts like Utrecht and Rotterdam present challenges for education in teaching students to navigate differing values and emotions in both the classroom and society. Learning activities for a diverse student population can be made more meaningful through the integration of physical heritage, allowing artifacts, museum objects, artworks, and buildings to present various perspectives over time in concrete and tangible ways. Through educational design research with the learning community, MESOE investigates the necessary conditions for successful collaboration between schools and heritage institutions, as well as the subject-specific pedagogical knowledge needed by teachers and heritage educators when designing object-based heritage education.

Research Interests