We are working towards a better world. We do this by researching complex issues beyond the borders of disciplines.
How we are working towards a better world
- Happy youth How can we help our children to develop into well-balanced individuals - in a fast changing environment?
- Open and powerful societies How do institutions, the formal and informal rules of human interaction, contribute to the formation and flourishment of open societies?
- A healthy future How can we drive innovations in human and veterinary health care, with careful consideration of our environment?
- Transition towards a more sustainable world What is needed to enable the transition towards a more sustainable society?
Facts and figures
Our interdisciplinary research targets 4 themes that touch upon large societal challenges
Our 11 focus areas are testing grounds in which we connect fundamental research to societal tasks
Research and society join forces in 20 hubs to tackle key societal challenges
We conduct cutting edge research into over 135 different areas
Working together in research
- Increasing labour market participation What is the best way to guide people on social assistance towards participation or paid work? Researchers from Utrecht University followed social assistance claimants in Utrecht and Zeist for sixteen months.
- Tackling plastic soup Oceanographer Erik van Sebille joined forces with student Aike Vonk and launched a website about plastic soup. "We need to solve the plastic soup together: science, the government, and you and me".
- Special operation Collaboration between human and veterinary medicine generates new knowledge and creativity: A congenital heart defect in a dog was repaired in a successful operation at the University Clinic for Companion Animal Health.
- Young and happy? Are they healthy and happy, or are young people in the Netherlands stressed-out, binge-drinking smartphone addicts plagued by mental health issues?