Our living environment is changing - and must continue to change. In this breakout session, Tim van Hattum and Joyce Zwartkruis take you on a journey to the year 2120. What will the Netherlands look like then? And more importantly: how do we design a living environment where health is not a by product, but a central value?

 

Health is not only created in hospitals - it is shaped in the places where we live, work and move every day. That is an essential perspective when imagining what the Netherlands could look like in 2120. The future vision NL2120 presents an integrated and compelling approach to creating a climate resilient, biodiverse and livable Netherlands. By embracing nature based solutions and reimagining our surroundings, we can shape landscapes that actively contribute to human health. Think of greener cities that reduce heat stress, encourage physical activity and support mental well being. 

 

In this session, we will explore:

•    what the Dutch landscape of the future might look like
•    how nature based solutions can drive a healthier living environment
•    why health should be a guiding principle in designing NL2120

 

Let yourself be inspired by a future that is not only imaginable, but achievable.

 

Participation Beyond the Checklist: What does meaningful participation of people in vulnerable situations in health research really require?
Lenneke Vaandrager, Annemarie Wagemakers, Jantien van Berkel, Carlijn Kamphuizen and Margret Franssen and the i4PH participation panel.

 

This interactive breakout session explores how researchers, professionals and people with lived experience can work together towards more inclusive health research. Drawing on experiences with participatory research and citizen panels, we will reflect on collaboration, experiential knowledge, lived experience, enabling environments and the inclusion of people in vulnerable situations. The session combines short reflections with interactive activities that invite participants to exchange experiences, reflect together and explore what meaningful participation in research can look like in practice.

 

 

Deception in the food environment: from what we need to what we are served
Ellen Kampman (WUR-Agrotechnology & Food Sciences) & Ellen van Kleef (WUR-Social Sciences Group)

Dietary guidelines are built on decades of rigorous scientific research, yet nutrition scientists often struggle to gain the same visibility and influence as social media influencers. In a food environment increasingly shaped by commercial interests, persuasive marketing, and online misinformation, this raises important questions. Why do evidence-based messages so often lose out to less reliable voices? More importantly, what transformations are needed to create a food environment in which healthy and evidence-based choices become the easy, trusted, and attractive choices? In this interactive session, we will explore the forces shaping today’s food environment and together identify pathways for transformative change.

 

A human transition oriented perspective on infectious diseases 
Mariken de Wit, Sara Gjaltema , Wim van der Poel en Quirine ten Bosch, WUR IDE (WUR-Infectious Diseases Epidemiology)

 
A large share of human infectious diseases originates in animals, with insects playing a crucial role as vectors. In this break out session, we approach vector borne zoonoses from a transition oriented perspective, examining not only how outbreaks unfold but also the broader system changes needed to sustainably reduce risks.

 

Through interactive exploration, we look at how disease outbreaks emerge, how climate change and land use shifts shape future scenarios, and what forms of transdisciplinary collaboration are required to address these complex challenges.

 

Together, we investigate which preventive strategies hold promise, how to build resilient systems, and how different disciplines and sectors can reinforce one another to better prepare for emerging infectious threats.