This research focuses on implementing sit-to-stand desks in higher education to reduce sedentary time and improve student mental wellbeing. Since students in higher vocational education and academic education have less classes and more self-study hours than students in vocational education and training (VET), previous findings from VET cannot be directly translated to higher education. Through co-creation, we explore the needs and preferences of higher education students to implement sit-to-stand desks. Subsequently, we test the effect of this implementation during six months on physical activity, mental wellbeing, and academic performance. Positive results can stimulate wider use of sit-stand desks in education.

A healthy lifestyle is able to reverse the epidemic development of overweight, and cardio-metabolic disease. Unfortunately, most people do not manage to incorporate or to maintain the recommended changes in their daily lifestyle. This may be due to the fact that people do not perceive the benefits of a healthy lifestyle in the short term. There is evidence that a well-controlled blood glucose level—by boosting physical and mental energy—may also be an important determinant of wellbeing, mental and physical performance. The link between blood glucose and the latter factors has hardly been studied. Moreover, it is not known to what extent these relationships differ in healthy subjects and subjects with an impaired glucose metabolism. On the other hand, despite being compliant to lifestyle advices, the metabolic flexibility to respond to lifestyle intervention may vary between individuals. Recent evidence indicates that insulin resistance and metabolic inflexibility may develop separately in different organs, representing different etiologies towards cardio-metabolic diseases. Interestingly, these tissue-specific sub-phenotypes may have a differential response to diet, suggesting that successful lifestyle interventions may require a more personalised approach. The present proposal intends to (1) unravel the metabolic and dietary/lifestyle determinants of blood glucose control and mental and physical performance and well-being (2) study the impact of tailored dietary and/or physical activity interventions on these parameters (3) develop and test multi-scale tissue dynamic and mathematical models on diet and lifestyle in relation to blood glucose homeostasis and mental and physical performance and well-being in overweight subjects.

This project helps young children (ages 7–10) learn basic ideas of statistics and data science: understanding random chances and making good guesses based on data. These key ideas are the foundation of many artificial intelligence (AI) tools we use today, like ChatGPT and social media platforms. The project will unfold in three parts: first, create fun and simple learning activities; second, engage them in local classrooms with the support of their teachers; and third, share the materials and results freely and publicly. By starting early, kids can be better prepared to understand, question, and shape AI fairly and thoughtfully.

Nederland heeft te maken met een toestroom van Eritrese en Somalische vluchtelingen. Vanwege hun traditionele en religieuze overtuigingen, die worden beschouwd als ver verwijderd van een geseculariseerde samenleving als de Nederlandse, vragen Nederlandse instellingen om meer onderzoek naar deze nieuwkomersgroepen. Vestigde vluchtelingen moeten nog onderzocht worden, waarbij de nadruk ligt op de veranderende dynamiek van hun genderverwachtingen om in hun nieuwe samenleving te passen. Door middel van intersectionaliteit, genderperformativiteit, genderconstructie en -onderhandeling en levenscyclustheorieën zullen de complexiteiten van ontheemding en interactie met de gastsamenleving worden geïllustreerd. Deze worden onderzocht aan de hand van mondelinge levensgeschiedenissen, etnografie en kritische discoursanalyse.

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