Behind the scenes with Jacquelien van Stekelenburg and Ellen Giebels

Behind the scenes at Secure Societies: Jacquelien and Ellen on trust, technology and collaboration for societal security.

Behind the scenes with Jacquelien van Stekelenburg and Ellen Giebels

Safety, trust and resilience – these are the key words at the heart of the Secure Societies impact coalition. In this edition of Behind the Scenes, we speak with coalition leads Jacquelien van Stekelenburg (VU Amsterdam) and Ellen Giebels (UT), the driving forces behind Secure Societies. How do they view societal security, and what role does the collaboration between VU Amsterdam and the UT play in this? 

A shared passion for societal security

“We both combine academic careers with many years of leadership experience,” says Jacquelien. “I’m Professor of Social Change and Conflict at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities at VU Amsterdam. For the past eleven years, I’ve been part of the faculty board, serving as Vice Dean of Education and Vice Dean of Research & Impact. Currently, in our new faculty structure, I serve as Director of Impact.” 

Ellen adds: “I’m Professor of the Social Psychology of Conflict and Safety at the University of Twente. In 2010/2011 I founded the Psychology of Conflict, Risk and Safety department, and I served as Vice Dean of Research for eight years at the Faculty of Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences.” 

Together, they lead the Secure Societies impact coalition. “We’re connected by a shared interest in societal safety. And precisely because we come from different backgrounds – social and technical – we’re able to form a strong, interdisciplinary coalition.” 

The power of interdisciplinary and interregional collaboration

“The partnership between a broad, socially oriented university in the Randstad (VU Amsterdam) and a technically focused university with strong regional roots in the east of the Netherlands (UT) creates unique opportunities,” says Ellen. “We strongly believe in an integrated approach. Polarisation, cybercrime and declining trust in institutions are complex issues. You can’t solve them from a single discipline or region.” 

Jacquelien: “We combine Twente’s technological expertise with in-depth knowledge of social dynamics, law and governance from VU Amsterdam. That results in innovative solutions that are both people-focused and technologically sound.” 

“We also connect different networks – from national ministries to regional authorities and grassroots initiatives. That broad societal embeddedness is essential for real impact.” 

Trust and technology: two major challenges

The coalition focuses on several societal challenges, with two themes standing out. 

“On one hand, we’re seeing declining trust in institutions and an eroding rule of law,” says Jacquelien. “On the other, the interconnection between technology and security is expanding rapidly – with both risks and opportunities.” 

Ellen: “We’re exploring how technology can help build trust. Think of VR interventions to counter ethnic profiling, or gaming research that supports disaster response. The challenge is to connect people and technology in a meaningful way.” 

A broader perspective on the security domain

We recently shared the news that Secure Societies is broadening its scope. 

“We’re consciously shifting our focus from working solely with police organisations to engaging a wider societal field,” explains Ellen. “We want to bring the citizen perspective much more to the fore by working with organisations such as Slachtofferhulp Nederland (Victim Support Netherlands), Reclassering Nederland (Probation Service) and the Raad voor de Rechtspraak (Council for the Judiciary). These organisations operate within the same ecosystem and often depend on one another – which calls for integrated collaboration.” 

Jacquelien: “It remains a challenge – integrated cooperation in this field is often still an ambition, not yet a given. But it’s a necessary one.”

Large consortia and small-scale innovation

“We’re building a portfolio of projects,” says Ellen. “On the one hand, we join major consortia with high impact potential – such as the ADAPT! Gravitation program, which investigates how societies learn from crises. Or the NWA project DE-ESCALATE, focused on the successful de-escalation of aggression towards frontline workers.” 

“At the same time, we actively support smaller, innovative projects in which early-career researchers connect in boundary-pushing collaborations,” says Jacquelien. “Think of projects on gaming in public spaces, ethical hacking, space crime and restorative justice through roundtable dialogues. That variety is important – it highlights just how broad the theme of safety truly is.” 

Future collaborations and ambitions

In the coming years, Secure Societies aims to expand and deepen its network. 

“We see clear opportunities to initiate research together with the Ministry of Defence,” says Jacquelien. “This could happen via specialised knowledge centres, but also within specific branches such as the army or the military police. Defence plays a key role in the security domain and works closely with civil partners such as the police, municipalities and medical services. These cross-connections are very relevant to us.” 

Ellen: “You really see the importance of those collaborations during crises and disasters. At the same time, it can be a challenge – Defence is a compartmentalised organisation and the research questions aren’t always clearly defined. But when we find each other, we can truly add value.” 

Jacquelien: “At the same time, we continue to invest in existing and new partnerships, such as citizen assemblies, Victim Support Netherlands, the Probation Service and the Council for the Judiciary. We’re looking for partners who want to join us in building trust and resilience in society. Ultimately, it’s about creating lasting impact.” 

In a single sentence

When asked to summarise the societal impact of Secure Societies in a single sentence, Jacquelien and Ellen answer: 

“We aim to be the catalyst for groundbreaking research and collaboration between VU Amsterdam, the UT and societal partners – so that together we can build an inclusive, resilient and secure society.” 

Would you like to learn more or get in touch with the Secure Societies impact coalition? Feel free to contact Jacquelien van Stekelenburg (j.van.stekelenburg@vu.nl) or Ellen Giebels (e.giebels@utwente.nl).