Introduction
In 2013 scientists Cécile Casterman and Raymond Hamers create an academic chair that met the need of a university wide and interdisciplinary program in the History and Philosophy of Sciences.
Cécile Casterman and Raymond Hamers performed research into antibodies in the eighties, resulting in their discovery of a new class of antibodies in camelids: the alpaca antibody. Their research lead to the spin-off company Ablynx, one of Belgium's success stories. Today, both scientist are retired.
Nonetheless, their desire and commitment to enable and facilitate intergenerational discussions in science, are the engine of this chair.
Goals
The chair ‘History and Philosophy of Sciences’ consists of a lecture series of internationally renowned speakers, programmed by Crosstalks.
The kick-off of the chair took place in October 2013 with VUB honorary doctor Prof. Londa Schiebinger (Stanford University).
Guest speakers in recent years were among others: Anne Fagot-Largeault (Collège de France), Dava Sobel (novelist), Philipp Blom (historian, novelist), Peter Gallison (Harvard University), Adam Lowe (Factum Arte) en Simon Schaffer (Cambridge University), John Thackara (Doors of Perception), Paul Halstead (The University of Sheffield), André Ariew (University of Missouri).
Chair holder
Jean Paul Van Bendegem is director of the Center for Logic and Philosophy of Science. He is prof.m. at VUB, where he teached logic and philosophy of science until 2018. From 2005 to 2009 he was dean of the Faculty of Arts and Philosophy. Hij is editor of the journal Logique et Analyse, and promotor of various doctoral project at CLWF.
His research focuses on the foundations of philosophy of mathematics and logic. His latest book publications for a broader audience are De vrolijke atheïst (Antwerp: Houtekiet, 2012), Elke drie seconden (Antwerp: Houtekiet, 2014) and Verdwaalde stad – Filosoferen langs straten en pleinen (Antwerp: Houtekiet, 2017).
Donors
Cécile Casterman and Raymond Hamers
Chair type
Research
Period
2013 - 2020
Events
11/03/2020:
Black History Month Belgium: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia
18/02/2020:
Closing the Door: Complaint as Diversity Work
07/06/2019:
28/04/2019:
Bonsai Earth. Dialogues on revisiting Biosphere 2 and insights for the future now
03/04/2019:
Hinterland Hub. From solitary residence to international networking
27/04/2018:
Coping With Complexity in Scientific and Artistic Ways
14/10/2017:
Cooperation in digital times with Yochai Benkler
23/09/2017 :
Le Congo dans les années 1926-1936
23/05/2017:
Food and Society in Classical Antiquity
22/05/2017:
Blending sciences: Benefits & pitfalls of interdisciplinary research
15/02/2017:
14/02/2017:
Understanding Heritage: Public Lecture by Rodney Harrison
13/02/2017:
Understanding Heritage: Salon with Rodney Harrison, Lionel De Vlieger and Anna Rispoli
18/04/2016:
Lunch lecture by John Thackara
03/11/2015:
Academic session with Simon Schaffer and Adam Lowe
02/11/2015:
Salon in BOZAR with Luc Tuymans, Paul Dujardin, Ann Van Grevestein
26/04/2015:
Philipp Blom in debate with Jean Paul Van Bendegem - Ecopolis Debate at Kaaitheater
24/04/2015:
Philipp Blom: The Influence of Radical Enlightenment on Contemporary Thinking
23/04/2015:
History Lecture by Philipp Blom on Radical Enlightenment - Public lectures at VUB
17/03/2015:
Dinner Lecture met Peter Galison (Harvard University) - invitation only at Le Mess
18/03/2015:
Peter Galison (Harvard University) on the notion of time - Public lecture at VUB
23/10/2014:
Expert Meeting with Anne Fagot-Largeault on psychiatry
22/10/2014:
Medicine & Philosophy – Public Lecture with Anne Fagot-Largeault
22/05/2014:
A staged reading of Dava Sobel's play 'And the Sun Stood Still' - with Jerry Killick and Kate McIntosh at the Kaaistudio's
21/05/2014:
Expert meeting with Dava Sobel: Science Writing by and for non-Scientific People
20/05/2014:
Dava Sobel: The Illustrated Longitude - Public Lecture at VUB Campus
10/10/2013:
Expert meeting on Gender and Academic Achievement with Londa Schiebinger
09/10/2013:
Londa Schiebinger on Agnotology and Colonial Science
08/10/2013:
Londa Schiebinger on Innovation and Gender