Fast forward to:
Raymond 1932 - 2021 & Cécile 1931 - 2020
About the chair
The Chair Casterman-Hamers History and philosophy of sciences answers the need for a cross-disciplinary and university-wide education and research in History and Philosophy of Sciences by means of lectures-debates, workshops and residencies.
The program is developed by VUB Crosstalks, in close collaboration with the chairholder. From 2022-2024 the chairholder is lawyer and philosopher Mireille Hildebrandt.
Who are Cécile Casterman and Raymond Hamers?
The scientists Cécile Casterman and Raymond Hamers persisted in the late 1980s in investigating ongoing research on antibodies in their lab, and discovered a new class of antibodies in camelid species: the alpaca antibody. Their love of research and teaching led to the establishment of the academic chair History and Philosophy of Sciences at VUB in 2013. In doing so, Raymond Hamers and Cécile Casterman wanted to address the lack of a university-wide course on the history and philosophy of scientific thought.
“There is a lack in our academic curriculum about history and philosophy of sciences. Yet, this is a crucial bridge for transdisciplinary learning and mutual understanding. We wanted to do something about this since we need that historical framework when talking about science. Take the atomic theory for instance, which already existed as a conceptual concept with the Greeks, with the atom as the smallest particle of a matter. History is not about a chronological overview of events, but rather about the evolution of scientific ideas.”
Activities
Activities range from tailor-made networking activities to larger events for the broader public.
Public events can take different forms:
- Lecture-debates by philosophers, scientists and artists, such as with Ariella Azoulay. Watch here
- Workshops such as the one with The Atlas of Ovens, focusing on algae glazing
- Film screenings at Cinema Ritcs
Chair holder
Chair holder Benoît Henriet
2025-2027: Benoît Henriet
Every three years the Casterman-Hamers Chair on the History and Philosophy of Sciences appoints a new chairholder. For the period 2025-2027 this is historian Benoît Henriet. Benoît Henriet is associate professor of History at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and a member of the research group SHOC (Social History of Capitalism), specializing in history from below, environmental history, and the microhistories of (post)colonial Central Africa. In 2022, he received an ERC Starting Grant for the project FORAGENCY: Foraging, Colonialism, and More-than-Human Agency in Central Africa, which officially began in October 2023. Together with two PhD students in History and two postdoctoral researchers in Anthropology, Benoît studies how humans and non-humans (animals, plants, landscapes) in Central Africa navigated and resisted colonialism and capitalism. Specifically, the team explores how local populations used hunting, fishing, and foraging to subvert colonial economic systems. And furthermore, how the relations between humans, other living beings and the ecosystems that they inhabit together shaped colonial dynamics.
To pursue this research, the team is conducting thematic sub-studies, focusing on the production and use of drugs and alcohol, hunting, fishing, and foraging for subsistence and trade, as well as the use of plants in healing practices. These studies will examine the ecological relationships between four colonial towns and their surrounding regions: Léopoldville (now Kinshasa), Brazzaville, Stanleyville (now Kisangani), and Usumbura (now Bujumbura).
In addition to producing academic outputs, Benoît seeks to engage wider audiences by contributing to ongoing discussions and innovations in the field of environmental humanities. In November 2024 for instance, the FORAGENCY team has launched the podcast Foraging, which showcases exciting research and creative endeavours at the crossroads of human sciences and the arts. This focus aligns seamlessly with his recent appointment as chairholder for the Chair Casterman-Hamers in History and Philosophy of Sciences. In this role, Benoît will bring environmental and ecological perspectives into the historical study of human-environment interactions, linking his research to broader questions about how these relationships challenge and reshape capitalist systems.
Coming up: The Foragers Project
Starting in October 2025, Benoît will co-curate The Foragers: Engagements Beyond the Human, a series of events including lectures, debates, film screenings, and workshops. The series will culminate in an exhibition at Pilar, scheduled to run from April to May 2026. Stay tuned!
News
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Academic chair details
Faculty: Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences
Type of chair: Education
Foundation year: 2013