Henk Sligte (photo: Ewoud de Kat)

SCO-Kohnstamm Instituut

The SCO-Kohnstamm Instituut is one of the top-ranking research and reference centres in Europe specializing in commissioned research on education, child rearing and child welfare. The Institute operates independently in the market for research and consultancy projects and, as an institute within the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, is part of the Universiteit van Amsterdam (UvA).
Our aims are twofold. At the request of the government, community organizations and the business world, we carry out research and give advice. In addition, we constantly strive to broaden and expand our knowledge in general of the field of education, child rearing and child welfare. By integrating basic and applied research, the Institute aims to make basic research more relevant to society. This also enhances the contribution of commissioned research to scholarship and enables our clients to gain maximum benefit from the expertise of the Institute.

The SCO-Kohnstamm Instituut's foundations lie in the disciplines of Pedagogics and Educational Science. This is evident in the five fundamental research programmes which constitute the basis of the Institute's contribution to interdisciplinary co-operation, thereby aiming at the growth of knowledge and the solution of educational issues. The Institute's position within the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences enhances this objective.

The interdisciplinary basis and the fundamental research activities enable the Institute to contribute towards the improvement and actualization of existing, practical knowledge. More than fifty experienced researchers are employed by the Institute who carry out applied research in a range of topics in the field of education, child rearing and child welfare. In addition to specialists in the field of education and child rearing, these include economists, sociologists, language specialists and psychologists. This qualifies the Institute to tackle social issues and policy matters and its expertise is regularly called upon to provide knowledge and information. Within the 'Applied Research' division (Toegepast onderzoek, TO), account managers and their teams are responsible for the co-ordination of contact with clients and principals in a specific subject area. The primary task of these account managers is acquisition but other activities include stimulating ongoing research.

One of the accounts is ‘ICT and Education’ of which Henk Sligte is the account manager. The Comenius 3 ECOLE-network is situated in this account. Some other European projects in which the SCO-Kohnstamm Instituut is involved are:
- CODEX-IP
- OASIS
- ITCOLE
- IPETCCO
We are also involved in the European Schools Project.

In the Netherlands the SCO-Kohnstamm Instituut is coordinator of the National Expertise Centre Electronic Learning Environments.

Contact: hsligte@fmg.uva.nl