With our expertise, we contribute to analysing and solving issues in society, science and scholarship in the following areas:
Research
University-wide themes
Utrecht University has four strategic research themes and eleven research focus areas, in which academics from different fields of study cooperate on an integrated approach to current issues. Humanities scholars participate in the following themes in particular:
What makes a society open and resilient?
What is the contribution made by institutions – the formal and informal rules of human action – to long-term prosperity, equality and democracy? This research is carried out within the strategic theme Institutions for Open Societies.
Growing up to become well-balanced adults
How can young people develop into well-balanced adults in a rapidly-changing society? This research is carried out within the strategic theme Dynamics of Youth.
Towards a sustainable society
How can we make the transition towards a society that is ecologically, economically and socially balanced? This research is carried out within the strategic theme Pathsways to Sustainability.
Development of data science techniques
How can we accelerate the development of data science techniques in research areas where they are not yet applied? This research is carried out within the focus area Applied Data Science.
Education for Learning Societies
How does education help society move forward? This research is carried out within the focus area Education for Learning Societies.
Serious gaming and playful interaction
How can games inform, motivate, appeal to emotion, and influence behavior? This research is carried out within the focus area Game Research.
Take on new challenges
How can professionals effectively anticipate the changing nature of professional work? This research is carried out within the focus area Professional Performance.
A great example of team play
What new knowledge can sports yield about co-creating public value? This research is carried out within the focus area Sports and Society.
Sharing knowledge
Are you interested in collaboration with our researchers?
Latest news on research
30 March 2020
Florien Kijlstra wrote an account of the second brown bag meeting of 2020.
19 March 2020
Belle Derks, Linda Senden, Rosemarie Buikema and Ruth van Veelen plead in a manifesto in the 'NRC' for an equal treatment supervisor.
12 March 2020
The new "Unsettling Knowledge" podcast reflects on how empire and colonization have shaped contemporary society and culture.