The Royal Academy for the education of civil engineers (burgelijke ingenieurs), and commercial trainees (kweekelingen voor den handel), was founded in Delft by Royal Decree of 8 January 1842. State Councillor A. Lipkens (1782-1847), engineer and cartographer, played an important role in the creation of the new institution, and was appointed its first director. Since civil engineers were also in demand in the Dutch East Indies, Lipkens and the minister of Colonies J.C. Baud (1789-1859) agreed to extend the Academy’s educational scope. At the time of the discussions, well-educated and trained administrators were also very much in need in the Dutch East Indies. Up to 1842, no institution provided a professional education for potential candidates. Baud was all too aware of the situation. Thanks to his long administrative career in the Dutch East Indies, crowned with his appointment as governor general (1833-1836), and his strategic position at the Ministry, Baud, fluent in Malay, had a thorough knowledge of the Indonesian archipelago and its varied cultures, its customary law, and colonial administration. As statesman and advisor to King William II (r. 1840-1849), he was a key figure. He used therefore his influence to see to the realisation of a special section for aspirant civil servants in the Dutch East Indies at the Academy. Taco Roorda (1801-1874), who had become an eminent Javanologist, occupied at that time the chair of Oriental languages at the Atheneum Illustre in Amsterdam since 1828. He strongly supported Baud’s views and plans, advised him, and was rewarded with a professorship in languages, history, geography and cultural anthropology (taal-, land- en volkenkunde) of the Indonesian archipelago by Royal Decree of 18 June 1842. Roorda was assisted by A. Meursinge (1812-1850) and J. Pijnappel Gz. (1822-1901), and by S. Keyzer (1823-1868) after Meursinge’s demise.

The Academy, housed in the monumental building situated Oude Delft 95, opened its doors to students on 4 January 1843.

Twenty years later, the Academy’s fate was sealed due to an Act passed in 1863, imposing new regulations on the education of engineers. The consequence was that a Royal Decree was issued on 20 June 1864, stipulating that the Delft Royal Academy was to be disbanded in order to make way for a new Polytechnic School (Polytechnische School), precursor to the Delft University of Technology. At the same time the decision was taken to create a State Institution in Leiden to provide for the education of civil servants in the Dutch East Indies (Rijksinstelling van onderwijs in Indische taal-, land- en volkenkunde). This decision justified the transfer of the library of the Delft Royal Academy, section Dutch Colonies. Professors Roorda and Pijnappel exchanged their former positions at the Delft Academy for a post at the new Leiden institution. It was disbanded ten years later, but the cause was by no means lost.

After decades of pros and cons, hesitations and discussions since the creation in 1836 of the first Malay chair in the Netherlands at the Royal Military Academy (Koninklijke Militaire Academie) in Breda, Malay, Javanese and Indonesian-Malaysian studies in general gained their academic respectability. They were incorporated in a high-level educational programme at Leiden University. Professor Roorda hasn’t been able to witness the opening of the academic year in 1874. Taken ill at home the previous year, he died on 5 May 1874.