La dynastie belge et la science, 1909-1959

The project consists in investigating the role of the Belgian dynasty in scientific development since the beginning of the reign of king Albert I (1909), until the establishment of the National Council for Science Policy (CNPS) in 1959, during king Baudouin's reign, following the publication of the work of the "National Commission on Science" which released its conclusions in the same year. The study deals with the action of the sovereign and the networks he formed with his entourage (the queen, the crown prince, the advisers of the court, some close relations of the king, the ministers in charge of scientific affairs) in the field of science, along various research themes; how these people saw the role of science in society; what influence they had in the development of science (institutions, initiatives, projects); what relationships existed between the dynasty and the scientific institutions; what the relationships between the dynasty and the Congo were in the realm of science. This perspective, which focuses on three Belgian sovereigns of the twentieth century, should make it possible to assess the development and progressive implementation of the "science policy". To date, no study has been specifically devoted to this topic.