Mission & Vision
Our mission is to foster a thriving plural society through research, education, and collaboration. We address complex societal issues by contributing to innovative and inclusive governance approaches and understanding societal pluralism. In our team, we bridge multiple disciplines and collaborate closely with a variety of institutions, communities, and citizens.
Our curiosity drives us to different meanings and opinions and pragmatically choose the perspectives and methods that best enable us to understand and solve complex societal issues. Our responsible behaviour is evident in acknowledging values that sustain high-quality science, building long-lasting relationships with stakeholders and providing solutions for the immediate and long-term future.
Research
Our team brings together research lines that are well-known internationally. We pay special attention to diversity in communities explaining their behavior regarding societal wicked issues, like climate change, inclusive sustainability, and quality of life in urbanized settings. Moreover, we are interested in understanding and enhancing (trustworthy) relationship between communities and their local initiatives with governmental institutions. This focus is greatly supported by the national and international networks of our members, and their strong track records in attaining research funding. That the team hosts both members with outstanding track records in 2nd-stream funding and those with stellar records when it comes to 3rd-stream funding is a particularly relevant asset given that the contemporary funding landscape increasingly calls for research that is simultaneously scientifically and societally relevant and co-funded by external stakeholders.
Click on a research topic to learn more about our research:
- Social conflicts and group differences
- Participation, community-based initiatives and social entrepreneurship
- Governance in the network society
- Governance in transition
- Managing complex issues
- Cities and inequality
- Vital cities and citizens
- Governance and sustainable behaviour
- Global social challenges
- Design as research method
- Playing with complexity in an infrastructural environment
Education
We aim to optimize, but also innovate the link between educational activities and research and impact & design. The team takes responsibility in key parts of our Bachelor programs regarding the international bachelor program Management van Internationale Social Challenges, , the governance learning line (public administration) and the learning lines on sociological perspectives and issues. Our team is aligned with three specific tracks: (1) Governance and Management in Complex Systems, (2) Urban Governance of Inclusive Sustainable Cities, and (3) Polarization, Democracy and Society. In addition, we are involved in two research masters: (1) Public Administration and Organisational science, and (2) Sociology of Culture, Media, and the Arts. Moreover, we participate in the online master Public Governance, Management, and Policy.
Impact
Our team actively participates in diverse organisational endeavors, focused on impact in education and research. Members are strongly involved in various societal engagement activities of GOVLAB010, Knowledge Lab Livable Neighboorhoods, Resilient Delta, Vital Cities and Citizens, Governance Design Studio en GovernEUR. They also contribute to ad hoc activities for governmental advisory bodies, public and societal organisations, networks and media outlets.
Developing good relationships and shared goals with our faculty’s so-called ‘valorisation entities’ already creates opportunities to align activities and to maximise the synergy between scientific rigour and societal relevance, particularly in the Rotterdam region. It also makes it possible to conduct research by design and to translate our research findings in user-centered interventions.