Chair on Christian Identity

The Theological University of Utrecht develops projects and activities aimed at supporting the identity of Christian schools. The driving force behind this is the chair on ‘Christian Identity’ with a team of researchers. Professor Roel Kuiper holds this chair. From 2021, the activities will be housed in the Expertise Centre for Education and Identity

Roel Kuiper: ‘In recent years, a great deal of knowledge and experience has been built up with a view to shaping Christian identity in schools. We have now bundled this in this expertise centre. This gives this work its own place and more of a face to the outside world. We create a findable place for schools, school administrators and researchers. In this way, we hope to support recognisable Christian education with knowledge and research’.

The Expertise Centre focuses on the meaning of ‘identity’ for Christian education. For this purpose, expertise is developed, researched and shared in close collaboration with schools in our network. We believe that an integration of faith and pedagogical perspectives is helpful in designing processes and strategies that support practice in dealing with students. This converging movement therefore takes place in the midst of multiple disciplines and also in the interplay of theoretical and practical reflection.

The Expertise Centre collaborates with other universities, colleges, knowledge centres and educational umbrella organisations such as VERUS. Research trajectories are set up with schools and knowledge partners. The periodic network meetings under the name Identity as a Strong Brand with teachers, school leaders and administrators, now fall under the Expertise Centre. Furthermore, the Expertise Centre maintains the website identiteitsplein.nl.

View the Expertise Centre website here and read more.