Books and special issues by Pieter Dhondt
Routledge Studies in Cultural History 52, 2017
Due to the strong sense among the student community of belonging to a specific social group, stud... more Due to the strong sense among the student community of belonging to a specific social group, student revolts have been an integral part of the university throughout its history. Ironically, since the Middle Ages, the advantageous position of students in society as part of the social elite undoubtedly enforced their critical approach. This edited collection studies the role of students as a critical mass within their urban context and society through examples of student revolts from the foundation period of universities in the Middle Ages until today, covering the whole European continent. A dominant theme is the large degree of continuity visible in student revolts across space and time, especially concerning the (rebellious) attitudes of and criticisms directed towards students. Too often, each generation thinks they are the first. Moreover, student revolts are definitely not always of a progressive kind, but instead they are often characterized by a tension between conservative ambitions (e.g. the protection of their own privileges or nostalgia for the good old days) and progressive ideas. Particular attention is paid to the use of symbols (like flags, caps, etc.), rituals and special traditions within these revolts in order to bring the students’ voice back to the fore.
Researching and writing its history has always been one of the tasks of the university, particula... more Researching and writing its history has always been one of the tasks of the university, particularly on the occasion of anniversary celebrations. Through case studies of Prague (1848, 1948), Oslo (1911), Cluj (from 1919), Leipzig (2009) and Trondheim (2010), this book shows the continuity of the close relationship between jubilees and university historiography and the impact of this interaction on the jubilee publications and academic heritage. Up to today, historians are faced with the challenge of finding a balance between an engaged, celebratory approach and a more distant, academically critical one. In its third part, the book aims to go beyond the jubilee and presents three other ways of writing university history, by focusing on the university as an educational institution.
Whereas nineteenth-century university jubilees traditionally led to the writing of histories that... more Whereas nineteenth-century university jubilees traditionally led to the writing of histories that celebrated an individual university, in this volume they have inspired instead a stimulating comparative approach that studies jubilees themselves across Northern Europe. Starting from the bicentenary of Helsinki University in 1840 and finishing with the opening of the University of Iceland in 1911, this book focuses on the importance of these jubilees for the development of Scandinavist ideas and increasing cultural and scientific cooperation between the Nordic countries. Can these jubilees be regarded as the driving force of increasing Nordic cooperation? The analysis here shows that university and political authorities have always sought the right balance between the national, regional (in casu Nordic) and international character of their celebration.
Ce livre a pour objet l’histoire des discussions relatives à l'enseignement universitaire en Belg... more Ce livre a pour objet l’histoire des discussions relatives à l'enseignement universitaire en Belgique, depuis la suppression de l'ancienne université de Louvain en 1797 jusqu'à la promulgation des lois organiques sur l'enseignement supérieur dans les années 1890 et 1891. Plusieurs questions y sont envisagées comme le nombre et la localisation des universités, les conditions d'entrée, le programme et les méthodes d'enseignement, le système d'organisation des examens, la trans formation de l'université – d'école professionnelle en institution scientifi que –, la formation des futurs professeurs et l'admission des femmes dans l'enseignement universitaire. Les résultats d’ensemble sont systématiquement confrontés à deux études de cas approfondies concernant les facultés de lettres et de médecine. Les débats comme les réalisations s’inscrivent dans la recherche permanente d’un double compromis: d'une part, entre le « modèle universitaire français », promouvant l'éducation professionnelle et le développement des sciences appliquées, et le « système allemand », beaucoup plus libre, stimulant les étudiants à s’engager dans la recherche; d'autre part, entre la liberté externe et la liberté interne des universités.
Vanuit een belangstelling voor het paradoxale karakter van het pedagogisch denken en handelen pre... more Vanuit een belangstelling voor het paradoxale karakter van het pedagogisch denken en handelen presenteert dit boek niet zomaar een geschiedenis van opvoeding en onderwijs, maar verbindt het dit ook aan een epistemologische reflectie over hoe de geschiedenis van opvoeding en onderwijs tot stand komt en hoe dat onze kijk op en denken over het verleden beïnvloedt. Vandaar ook de term pedagogische historiografie. Termen zoals paradoxen en/of pedagogisering duiken ook in dit boek frequent op, maar zijn minder dan dit bij voorgaande publicaties het geval was hét bindelement tussen de verschillende hoofdstukken. In de plaats daarvan verwijzen de samenstellers nadrukkelijk naar hun paradigmatische positiebepaling, en de invloed die de (nieuwe) sociale en culturele geschiedschrijving op hun onderzoek heeft gehad. Het woord lezing heeft daarbij het conceptuele voordeel dat het naar een selectief proces verwijst en daarnaast niet de indruk wekt een geschiedenis te willen vertellen. Er zijn meerdere lezingen mogelijk. Na een theoretisch-systematische inleiding, een epistemologische opstap in twee hoofdstukken, worden zeven deelstudies gepresenteerd die een staalkaart bieden aan (voornamelijk recent) onderzoek van het Centrum voor Historische Pedagogiek van de K.U.Leuven en van de Vakgroep Pedagogiek van de Universiteit Gent. Met deze beperkte, maar weloverwogen selectie aan hoofdstukken, biedt het boek een kern aan teksten aan die een breed publiek kunnen aanspreken. Een aanvullende selectie van teksten, bijvoorbeeld voor onderwijsdoeleinden, is te vinden op de website.
Articles by Pieter Dhondt
Immediately after the abolition in 1814 of the academies of Brussels and Liège, a struggle broke ... more Immediately after the abolition in 1814 of the academies of Brussels and Liège, a struggle broke out in the Southern Netherlands between several cities to secure the establishment of a university within their walls. Particularly the advocates of Leuven and Brussels pushed forward the ideal of one university, although it appeared to be impossible to reach a consensus about where to establish this single university. From the start, the ideal met with all kinds of conflicting local interests. However, the idea of one university actually never left the scene again. Certainly in reaction to the university expansion in the 1960s and the subsequent need of rationalization of the university landscape from the 1970s, the idea of one university (in this period for Flanders) gained in attraction again. By comparing the debate in Belgium with that in Finland, the article will make clear that the outcome of the discussions was not determined by arguments with regard to pedagogy and science, but rather by local, regional, ideological, economic and not the least political priorities, which besides, changed only very little during the whole period.
Käynnistellessämme yliopistohistorian teemanumeron kokoamista Kasvatus & Aikaan runsaat puolitois... more Käynnistellessämme yliopistohistorian teemanumeron kokoamista Kasvatus & Aikaan runsaat puolitoista vuotta sitten olimme hiukkasen epävarmoja, löytyykö kiinnostusta aihepiiriin erikoisnumeron verran. Jo ensimmäisen kirjoittajakutsun jälkeen oli selvää, että tekstejä on tulossa vähintään riittävästi. Niinpä luettavana on nyt määrällisesti tukeva ja -näin uskallamme sanoa -myös laadullisesti korkeatasoinen paketti. Otsikoita silmäilemälläkin huomaa teemanumeron kattavan ajallisesti pitkän kauden antiikista aina tälle vuosituhannelle. Toinen oleellinen asia on näkökulmien moninaisuus, sillä edustettuna on niin perinteistä, mutta aina tarpeellista perustutkimusta, kuin myös analyysejä yliopistomaailman uusien käytäntöjen vaikutuksista ja niihin mukautumisesta. Useat näkökulmat liittyvät kolmanteen keskeiseen elementtiin eli monitieteisyyteen. Kasvatus & Aika -lehden ensimmäisessä numerossa päätoimittaja Jukka Rantala painotti monitieteisyyttä yhtenä lehden keskeisenä lähtökohtana. Monitieteisyys on näkynyt lehdessä koko sen ilmestymisajan, mutta voi perustellusti sanoa, että juuri yliopistohistorian teemanumerossa se nousee korostuneesti esiin. Tämä koskee sekä kirjoittajakuntaa että kirjoitusten näkökulmia, lähestymistapoja ja metodisia valintoja.
Tijdschrift voor Geschiedenis, 2015
At first sight the report of the commission on higher education of 1828 gives the impression of a... more At first sight the report of the commission on higher education of 1828 gives the impression of adopting the views of the Northern universities of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. However, when analysing the recommendations to the commission more carefully, we get another picture. The traditional division between North and South has to be replaced by a division between the commission, as an instrument of King and government, and the large academic community in both North and South. This consensus between North and South is discussed with regard to the main subjects of the debate: the number, place, and function of universities; the freedom of professors and students; the teaching programme and language used; and the material subsidies and administration of universities. The wide range of issues and the extent of the public debate provide a very topical sample of views on higher education.
The current university in a globalised world is facing all kinds of new challenges: an increasing... more The current university in a globalised world is facing all kinds of new challenges: an increasing commodification of research, a growing number of cases of scientific fraud, pressure on teaching, and internationalisation within still predominantly national frameworks. Taken together, all these elements contribute to the impression among the general public of a certain crisis of the current university. The central question of this paper is to what extent the original ideal of the university as a universal institution, in the period of its foundation in the High Middle Ages, can function as a source of inspiration for the concerns of the contemporary university. It will be shown that many traditions connected to this ideal can still function as valid models to reflect upon the university today, offering as such a nice example of how history of (university) education can be of use in the ongoing public debate and policy making process. The exercise to think about the university in this way stems from an intensive seminar, organised for master students in educational theory at Ghent University and the KU Leuven (Belgium). In the seminar we have been searching for the idea and the identity of the contemporary university from a historical and philosophical perspective.
The traditional conferment of honorary doctorates on the occasion of university celebrations goes... more The traditional conferment of honorary doctorates on the occasion of university celebrations goes back to the beginning of the 19th century. However, particularly in Northern Europe, on the occasion of university jubilees, the solemn promotion of honorary doctors was still combined with the traditional and ceremonious interpretation of the normal doctor’s promotion. Both ceremonies had its own function: the latter was conceived in the first place as a national celebration; the former was intended to radiate the international character and especially the (more or less) Scandinavianist attitude of the university. In this way the conferment of honorary degrees can be considered an ideal measure of the jubilee’s general message. This thesis will be developed by means of seven university celebrations, which together offer an excellent overview of the development of the academic relationship between the Nordic countries: Helsinki’s bicentenary in 1840, Dorpat’s 50th anniversary in 1852, Lund’s bicentenary in 1868, Uppsala’s quartercentenary in 1877, Copenhagen’s quartercentenary in 1879 and finally Kristiania’s centenary and the foundation of the University of Iceland, both in 1911. In all these cases honorary degrees functioned as expressions of political and cultural relationships, rather than as academic degrees to honour a specific person.
Zwischen 1831 und 1914 waren insgesamt 171 belgische Studenten an der Friedrich- Wilhelms-Univers... more Zwischen 1831 und 1914 waren insgesamt 171 belgische Studenten an der Friedrich- Wilhelms-Universität zu Berlin eingeschrieben. Vielen von ihnen wurde diese Möglichkeit als Gewinner des von der Regierung organisierten Reisestipendienwettbewerbs gewährt. Wie die Zahl der belgischen ‚Berlin-Studenten‘, wie sie im Folgenden genannt werden, sich während dieses Zeitraums von etwa achtzig Jahren entwickelt hat, wird im ersten Abschnitt erörtert. Nach dieser kurzen quantitativen Analyse wird im zweiten und dritten Abschnitt näher auf die Beurteilung der Berliner Universität im Allgemeinen und der medizinischen Fakultät im Besonderen durch die ‚Berlin-Studenten‘ eingegangen. Auf welche Weise haben ihre Erfahrungen im Aus- land ihre Ideen beeinflusst, und in welchem Maße versuchten sie (jetzt in der Eigenschaft als Professoren), die dort erlernten Methoden, Denkweisen und Praktiken im eigenen Land einzuführen? Obwohl vor 1880 der Anteil an Studenten der medizinischen Fakultät vergleichsweise gering war, war doch hauptsächlich in diesem Fach- gebiet die positive Aufnahme des ‚deutschen Unterrichts‘ in Belgien spürbar. Deshalb ist eine zentrale Frage, inwieweit das Gesetz von 1876, das den wissenschaftlichen und medizinischen Fakultäten grundlegende Reformen auferlegte, unter dem Druck der belgischen ‚Berlin-Studenten‘ zustande gekommen ist. Abschließend wird auf die Haltung dieser Studenten gegenüber dem von ihnen bevorzugten Universitätsmodell bei der Umgestaltung der Universität Gent von der deutschen Besatzungsmacht während des Ersten Weltkrieges eingegangen.
Opinion on the age and origin of the honorary degree differs according to the region under study ... more Opinion on the age and origin of the honorary degree differs according to the region under study and the criteria used to define what precisely constitutes an honorary promotion. By applying a flexible definition of the honorary degree, and combining existing research on the background and origin of early honorary degrees in different regions, this article aims to offer an answer to the question of the origin of the tradition of conferring honorary degrees. The giving and receiving of honorary degrees emerged in a variety of situations. Such degrees were awarded by popes and emperors – or their representatives – who wished to honour their ‘disciples’. They were also granted to meritorious professionals seeking a way around the strict rules for academic promotion via a promotion in absentia. And they were granted by universities wishing to benefit from the prestige of the celebrities they honoured, or which offered these degrees to professors without a doctoral degree, as a practical answer to the need for academic ceremonies and/or by way of thanks to their friends and benefactors. The emergence of the honorary promotion can only be explained through a combination of all these factors.
As an introduction to the special issue of Studium on ‘Academic culture of remembrance: the combi... more As an introduction to the special issue of Studium on ‘Academic culture of remembrance: the combination of university history, jubilees and academic heritage’, this paper presents an account of the conference on this topic, organised at Ghent University in March 2011, aiming to reveal the main conclusions and points of discussion.
In Finnish historiography, received wisdom about increasing German influence in the universities ... more In Finnish historiography, received wisdom about increasing German influence in the universities throughout the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century prevails. However, along with the German neo-humanistic model, universities in Sweden and, particularly, Russia also played an important role in reforming the Finnish higher education system. Broadly speaking, medical education at the University of Helsinki followed general European developments, in which German universities indeed often took the lead. These developments included: (1) the increasing need to concentrate education for all the medical professions at the universities; (2) the gradual replacement of clinical education by research training; and (3) increasing specialisation. This article will show, however, firstly that in all these respects, Finnish scholars took inspiration from further afield than just Germany, and secondly, that characteristics which were taken from foreign models were always adapted to the needs of the indigenous society – creating a distinctive Finnish model of medical training. The Finnish example will make clear the extent to which a scientifically based practice such as medicine is far from universal, but rather is subject to local cultural influences, and how educational practices are bound up with the political and cultural relationships within a geographical region. The starting point for this analysis of the specificity of medical education at the University of Helsinki is a series of two essays published in 1922.
Following the hygiene movement, the fight against infant mortality also became an important polic... more Following the hygiene movement, the fight against infant mortality also became an important policy objective in Belgium around the First World War. Increasingly, the National Board of Child Welfare made an appeal to visiting nurses to give mothers educational advice in their own environment and to carry out medical checks on children. The article explores to what extent the education of (visiting) nurses and the resulting approach of infant care was pillarized along ideological lines, not only on an institutional basis, but also with regard to the content of the education and opposing ideas on the work of nurses - as embodied by the catholic St. Elizabeth nursing school in Bruges and the liberal Ecole belge d'infirmières diplômées in Brussels.
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Books and special issues by Pieter Dhondt
Articles by Pieter Dhondt