About us

KIT Royal Tropical Institute is an independent centre of expertise, education and hospitality dedicated to sustainable development.

Guided by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, our knowledge work focuses on global health, gender, economic development and intercultural communication.

Our education offer comprises a graduate programme in global health, advanced courses for health professionals, a gender training programme and training and coaching services in intercultural communication.

Our campus houses state-of-the-art office and conference facilities, the certified ecofriendly Amsterdam Tropen Hotel, and De Tropen cafe & restaurant. We are also the home of SDG House: a resident community of sustainability experts, social entrepreneurs and NGOs with a membership of 60+ organisations.

A aerial image of the side of the main KIT building

Expertise

Dedicated to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, our experts’ work focuses on producing measurable results. More than 80 expert staff work across thematic impact areas including public health systems, epidemiology, sexual and reproductive health and rights, agricultural innovation, food value-chains, gender relations, and inclusive finance. The knowledge we generate is disseminated through assessment and advisory services, research, teaching, training, and agenda-setting events.

Education

KIT also houses an education centre with masters’ programmes and advanced courses for health professionals —all aimed at strengthening health systems around the world. The courses are offered in cooperation with the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

Hospitality

The organisation’s building and premises support sustainable development through the Amsterdam Tropen Hotel and De Tropen café-restaurant. KIT also offers state-of-the-art conference and events facilities for up to 900 guests in its monumental building. KIT contributes the proceeds from these activities to projects that create a more inclusive and sustainable world — part of its ethos of profit-for-sustainability.

SDG House

Since 2017, KIT’s premises have included SDG House, a resident community of more than 60 entrepreneurs, NGOs and other organisations that work towards achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SDG House is the hotspot in Amsterdam for sustainability events and entrepreneurship, convening people who share the common purpose of achieving the SDGs through a diverse range of work and activity covering urban development, impact investments, inclusive finance, fair trade, organic product development and more.

Our Values

We are guided by a set of values that define our relationship with clients, partners, employees and the community in which we operate. They are Sustainability, Inclusiveness, Transparency and Independence.

Sustainable

All our decisions and operations are guided by sustainability. By sustainability we mean development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs and therefore takes a long term perspective.

Inclusive

At KIT we empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all people. Our approach to sustainable development is also founded on the principle of inclusion. Our experience shows that in any change process, all actors need to be consulted and included from the outset in order for progress to be sustained.

Transparent

Our organisation is guided by transparency. We strive to exchange all the information required for successful collaboration, decision-making and accountability.

Independent

KIT is independent. We act according to our own values and judgement, not coloured by religion, politics, ethnicity or the influence of any group or class.