Henk van Os is sitting at a large round table in the sunny back room of his home in the south of Amsterdam. In front of him are stacks of art books, literary magazines and postcards from students and friends. Modern art fills the walls, and the cabinets contain a collection of statues and photographs that testify to a richly varied life. He still enjoys national fame as the former director of the Rijksmuseum and as presenter of the VPRO programmes Beeldenstorm and Museumschatten. Van Os was also University Professor of Art and Society at the UvA until ten years ago.

On their own

Due to his fame, Van Os attracted full lecture halls, but he absolutely did not want to earn more than other colleagues who had already retired. More money wouldn't make his life any better. That is why he had the 'extra' earnings set aside for what would later become the Henk van Os Fund. 'Being able to study abroad is the best thing that ever happened to me. It was important for my studies: I occupied myself with early Italian art and there was little supply in The Netherlands. Perhaps the most important thing was that it gave me independence. My student friend Anton Boschloo described it aptly: 'Luckily our fathers stayed on the other side of the Alps.' ‘That gave me freedom: I learned to stand on my own two feet, found my own path. Such an experience is important for young people.'

'Dancing in the street’

‘Very recognizable’, says Saar Michielsen. The former student of European Studies wanted to go to Argentina already as a teenager. Partly thanks to the Henk van Os Fund, in 2019 she was able to pay the travel costs  and studied and lived in Buenos Aires for six months. That location also gave her access to courses such as Intercultural Communications and Comparative Politics, in which she studied South American political systems. 'In The Netherlands you hear little about South American culture and politics. I wanted to experience myself what it is like there. Not only studying, but also getting to know the people, dancing on the street. I had already learned to dance the tango at home.'

Feeling of freedom

Through the travel grant, Michielsen also experienced a sense of freedom for the first time. 'I have been working since I was sixteen and have always worked alongside my studies. In Argentina, for the first time I was able to live without the pressure of having to earn money.' Her experience she carries with her: 'The tango is part of my life.' The trip also enriched her view of the world. 'For example, I was there when the Argentine currency lost fifteen percent in value in one day during the preliminary presidential elections. I saw its impact on the people.'

A world you've never been to

Henk van Os enjoys the story. 'When I started the fund, I had students like Saar in mind: scientifically curious, wanting to challenge yourself, the drive to learn from a world you have never been to.' He hopes that the fund can support many more students. The continued existence of the fund is temporarily guaranteed with contributions from various donors involved. 'That people commit to a fund with my name and with this purpose moves me deeply.'

The Henk van Os Fund

provides travel grants to students in the Humanities. In 2023, 33 students were awarded an individual travel grant for a total amount of € 22,050.