THE NETHERLANDS: On Thursday, March 12, 2026, Francio Guadeloupe officially accepted the position of KNAW Professor in the Public Anthropology of Kingdom Relations at the University of Amsterdam. In his powerful inaugural lecture, titled "Reweaving Dutch Caribbean Studies," Guadeloupe challenged traditional views of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. He urged a fresh look at how citizens actually live across the Atlantic, dedicating his address to his late friend and teacher, Rafael Sanchez.
Guadeloupe centers his research on the daily, lived realities of the Kingdom. He argues that the European Netherlands and the Caribbean islands are not separate worlds. Instead, they interweave constantly through culture, technology, and travel. Words from Papiamento, Caribbean snacks, and music mix naturally with the Dutch language and culture across both sides of the ocean.
A major theme of his speech was circular migration. Many people move back and forth between the islands and the Netherlands for work, family, or a change of pace. Guadeloupe highlighted the dual psychological connection these citizens share. He pointed out that rigid official census categories, which often label people simply as "Caribische Nederlander," fail to capture this rich, complex reality.
He also addressed the environmental and social realities of this interconnectedness. While commercial flights and tourism bring families together, they also rely on fossil fuels and a heavily exploited labor force. He drew attention to the workers who keep the island tourist economies running, calling for an economically just and ecologically sustainable approach to Kingdom relations.
To explore these dynamics, Guadeloupe outlined four clear research lines for his professorship:
- The study of trans-Atlantic cultural and intellectual creators.
- The study of kinship and romantic relationships that span the ocean.
- The impact of Dutch tourism on both the Netherlands and the islands.
- The study of the workers and owners driving the means of production in these economies.
By focusing on what people actually do rather than the structures imposed upon them, Guadeloupe hopes to rethink the constitutional arrangement of the Kingdom. His ultimate goal, he explained, is to unweave and reweave the Kingdom of the Netherlands to help build a fairer, more equal world.
