Jean-Luc Vellut (°Bruxelles, 1936) read History and International Relations at the Université catholique de Louvain and the Australian National University, Canberra. He taught History at the Universities of Kinshasa and Lubumbashi (1964-1976) where he was in charge of the foundational years of Departments of History, with programmes focused on African History. He later taught History at the Université catholique de Louvain (Louvain-la-Neuve) (1976-2002), and was active on the international scene in the field of West Central African History (Congo and Angola) and the main stages of its opening to successive world orders. He took scientific responsibility for the Exhibition La mémoire du Congo. Le Temps colonial, held at the Royal Museum for Central Africa (Tervuren, 2005). His current interest lies with historical paradigms as illustrated in the written historiography of West Central Africa (1500-2000).