Scientific research is a systematic intellectual process that allows for the collection, analysis, and interpretation of diverse information. It is conducted according to established principles and methodologies to guarantee the reliability, accuracy, and validity of its results. It is therefore a fundamental tool for developing human knowledge, honing analytical and critical skills, and stimulating innovation, which drives intellectual, social, and economic progress.
The Royal Academy of Archaeology and Art History of Belgium brings together members from numerous institutions with complementary objectives: museums, university research centers, heritage institutions, and cultural mediation organizations. These institutions develop significant research programs, provide various forms of education, and manage and preserve heritage that anchors our history, constituting the collective memory of a country and its increasingly diverse population. Research, and its dissemination to diverse audiences through teaching, education, publications and other media, constitutes an essential public service that guarantees access to information for the widest possible audience and encourages critical thinking.
Many intellectual, cultural, and heritage institutions, represented by the Royal Academy of Archaeology and Art History of Belgium, receive subsidies to varying degrees. However, the reduction in their public funding, coupled with recent staff and resource cuts, as well as various attempts to impose a productivity model entirely inadequate to their functions and purpose, jeopardize the production and transfer of knowledge and experience.
The Royal Academy of Archaeology and Art History of Belgium wishes to express its deep concern regarding the increasing pressure exerted on scientific research in the heritage and culture sector. Current budget cuts and the shift towards short-term profitability models conceived in purely material terms not only compromise the production and transfer of knowledge, but also undermine the fundamental societal role our disciplines play.
Without structural support, our capacity to meet future challenges and maintain independent, high-quality scientific research is severely jeopardized. We therefore call for a renewed appreciation of scientific research as a cornerstone of innovation, education, and cultural awareness. Indeed, only under these conditions can we contribute to building an inclusive, creative society capable of shaping its own future.
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The Royal Academy of Archeology and Art History of Belgium - Académie Royale d’Archéologie et d'Histoire de l'Art de Belgique ou Koninklijke Academie voor Archeologie en Kunstgeschiedenis van België - aims to promote the development in Belgium of archeology and art history studies, as well as scientific disciplines associated to these matters.
Founded in 1842, it is since 1934 a non-profit association (ASBL) headed by a Board of Directors and an Executive Committee. It is placed under the High Patronage of His Majesty the King. Since 2009, its headquarters are located at the Palais des Académies in Brussels.