Leiden: the heart of health and well-being
The city of Leiden is enriched by a dense infrastructure of knowledge institutes, with a uniquely strong focus on health and well-being. This gives Leiden "an extremely good starting position to become the healthiest city in the Netherlands," according to Fleur Spijker (Alderman for Economy, Knowledge, Sports, and Health of the Municipality of Leiden) during the opening of the Dutch Bio Science Week at the Leiden Knowledge Festival on Saturday, 22 June 2024.
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At the event, Leiden University was represented by Hanneke Hulst, Scientific Director of the Institute of Psychology; "Many people within our university work on health and well-being, it is one of our main priorities. All faculties and the LUMC are involved. Various disciplines find each other around this theme. We are extremely proud that in 2022 we established the Leiden Healthy Society Center in collaboration with the Municipality of Leiden and with great thanks to Andrea Evers. The center has since, and continues to allow us to better transfer our knowledge and expertise to the residents of the city of Leiden."
Mini Lectures, Citizen Science Lab, and Plenty of Fruits and Vegetables
During the Leiden Knowledge Festival in the Hooglandse Kerk, residents of Leiden could attend various mini lectures by researchers from the Faculty of Social Sciences. Wilco van Dijk, Professor of Economic Psychology, spoke about dealing with financial uncertainty, and Carlijn Bergwerff, Associate Professor at the Institute of Education, talked about (the role of technology in) improving the mental well-being of young people. At the Citizen Science Lab, you could make fine dust in the air visible through photography, and at BabyLab Leiden, you could get acquainted with the ‘Baby Vegetable Bag.’
What’s more, children could participate in university research on treatments for mild pain, transport themselves to another world with a VR headset, join a soap workshop by Rijksmuseum Boerhaave, watch someone propelled downward from the ceiling and eat lots of fruit. In short, it was an interesting and inspiring afternoon for both young and old!
Leiden Healthy Society Center en Dutch Bio Science Week
The Leiden Healthy Society Center (LHSC) accumulates knowledge, issues, and initiatives in the city to ensure a continued attention to and improvement of health in the city. An interdisciplinary approach is central to tackling complex problems. Hence, the LHSC derives its expertise from several disciplines, and the co-creation of knowledge with citizens to further innovation in healthcare.
For more information about the organisations collaborating to make Leiden one of the healthiest cities in the Netherlands, visit www.leidenhealthysocietycenter.nl.
Want to know what else is happening during the Dutch Bio Science Week? Visit Dutch Bio Science Week 2024 | For a healthier future
Photographer: Patrice Börger