Interview with coalition leaders Ellen Giebels and Jacquelien van Stekelenburg
Previously, they always introduced themselves 'simply' as Professor of Psychology and Professor of Social Change and Conflict. But since becoming coalition leaders of the Creating Secure Societies impact coalition, Ellen Giebels (UT) and Jacquelien van Stekelenburg (VU Amsterdam) regularly add ‘Coalition Lead’ to their introduction. But actually, they prefer to put themselves down as part of a great team. ‘It is fantastic to be part of this coalition. Together, we really work for, by and with society.'
‘Security is a large and comprehensive subject involving many stakeholders. Our dream is to become the knowledge centre in the field of societal security issues. Locally, regionally, nationally and eventually internationally. There is a huge need for knowledge, tools and exchange in the field of security. Based on our main themes of polarisation, undermining and crisis management, we want to meet this need.
Focus on Police
As a coalition, we are also part of the security ecosystem. Central to that system is the national Police force. That is where everything comes together in terms of security. For this reason, we have appointed the Police as our preferred partner. At the Police, there is a great challenge to tackle security issues in an integrated and sustainable way, based on a long-term vision and strategy. This perfectly matches our ambition and working method. We therefore have strong confidence in this collaboration. Within our research and education, we will develop, gather, exchange and apply knowledge in practice through co-creation.
Multidisciplinary
What makes us strong and distinctive is the wonderful combination of diverse knowledge, scientific topics and disciplinary and methodological aspects. Societal security issues are very complex. A monodisciplinary approach no longer suffices. At the UT, social sciences and technological sciences are strongly interlinked. Social science research is thereby set up with technology as a research topic, for example around the acceptance and adoption of new technology in the work situation. And also as a communication medium, for example around the Digital Divide, and as a methodology to better understand and influence (group) behaviour, for example using Virtual Reality (VR).
A1 connection
VU Amsterdam has a much broader range of expertise in social sciences such as anthropology and sociology. Furthermore, VU Amsterdam has a number of important disciplines, such as law and criminology, that UT does not have, while UT has one of the strongest philosophy groups in the world. This is important because both legal and ethical frameworks are important prerequisites. In short, together we combine social, technical, legal and ethical knowledge and expertise around societal safety issues in our proposition. Another nice aspect is our ‘A1 connection’. The A1 motorway connects the urban region of Greater Amsterdam with the Twente region. And in the middle is the city of Apeldoorn, home of the Police Academy. That can't be a coincidence!
Valid and reliable
We are an impact coalition and we want to have that impact scientifically and socially in the fields of media, policy and social innovation. In the media, we want to become a solid, reliable and in-demand voice when it comes to security with a special focus on polarisation, crisis management and undermining. We want to enrich policy at local, regional and national level with the latest knowledge and insights into security, and apply them to practice. In the field of social innovation, for instance, you can think of VR techniques applied to curb conflicts or polarisation. The guiding principle in all this is that our scientific contribution is valid, reliable and not open to debate.
Interesting combinations
The launch and first steps of the coalition were bottom-up with a warm welcome for anyone who has something to do with the topic and wants to put time and energy into the collaboration. In several sessions around out main themes, UT and VU Amsterdam people got to know each other and each other's expertise. It soon led to initial explorations and research. As coalition lead, we also successfully searched for possible interesting combinations of people and topics. And our search for figureheads for the coalition also paid off. You are going to hear more about this in 2023.
Opportunities
In our coalition, we have also found each other in our shared no-nonsense approach and our love for entrepreneurship. That the coalition is running smoothly, is certainly also due to the tireless efforts of our coordinators. Hats off to them. It is also because there is a lot of enthusiasm and everyone thinks in terms of opportunities. And yes, there are of course things that could be improved. This is mainly to do with the fact that, as a coalition, you set up a new form and structure where you have to deal with two universities. Procedures, rules and agreements do not automatically fit together. This sometimes still leads to some bureaucracy. Fortunately, people are now working hard to set up the governance for the coming years.
Embedding thought leadership
We are ambitious and would prefer to conquer the whole world. At the same time, we know that achieving success is a long-term process. That is why we also focus on the long term and on an increasingly solid anchoring of our philosophy in the work we do and will do. Preferably also in collaboration with colleagues from other universities, research institutes and universities of applied sciences. In the field of education, also in the context of lifelong learning, we will, for example, develop teaching materials for students and alumni. But also for professionals who are involved with security in practice at different places and levels. Finally, we will soon come up with a strategic advisory board where practice partners will be united. This will legitimise ourselves and make a good connection with the professional field.
Beautiful journey
There is a lot happening within the academic world at the moment and in our coalition all those things come together. Teamwork, open science, recognition and appreciation, collaboration with stakeholders and creating societal impact. Together, we are on a very beautiful journey that will continue for a long time.'
