Wednesday, July 24, 2024
This fall marks the start of the fourth Thesis Lab "Groene Zorg" (Green Healthcare) by the LDE Centre for Sustainability and Medical Delta. In a Thesis Lab, the most talented and motivated students work on a real-world research question. Healthcare organizations can submit their sustainability challenges before Monday, September 2, 2024.
Do you work in or for the Dutch healthcare sector and have a sustainability question? Have it investigated by a graduating student (from either a university or applied sciences). Medical Delta and LDE Centre for Sustainability will take the lead in making these research projects possible and will find the right student for your organization. You can submit your question here.
Healthcare is not only responsible for maintaining people’s health but also for ensuring a healthy environment. Seven percent of the total Dutch CO2 footprint is linked to the healthcare sector; for example, one operation generates an average of 12 kilograms of waste.
A drastic transition is needed to make the entire sector more sustainable. In recent years, more and more healthcare professionals have become aware of the environmental impact of healthcare. Previous Thesis Labs, Medical Delta, and LDE Centre for Sustainability have contributed to this awareness and explored solutions.
Implementation as the Next Step
Medical Delta and LDE Centre for Sustainability believe it’s time for the next step. In the new Thesis Lab "Groene Zorg" 2024-2025, we will focus on the following question: What is needed to implement and sustain green solutions in the Dutch healthcare sector?
We are looking for graduation projects that address barriers to further action, such as:
- The tension between financial costs and sustainability
- The tension between patient safety and sustainability
- Legislation that lags and does not align with sustainability practices
- Behavioral change in healthcare practice
- Lack of knowledge about sustainability
- New (non-existing) collaborations and supply chains/transparency in supply chains
- The sustainability (or lack thereof) of technological innovations
What Do You Get as a Case Holder?
- In-depth research by a talented and motivated Dutch-speaking student on a sustainability topic of your choice. Students bring a wide range of expertise: healthcare, environment, business, technology, management, psychology, law, philosophy, and anthropology.
- Participation in a larger community focused on green healthcare, where you can exchange knowledge with other healthcare professionals and institutions.
Submit your question before Monday, September 2, 2024. We will inform you in the week of September 9 if your project has been selected. In November 2024, we will match students with the projects.
What Do We Expect from a Case Holder?
- A practical research question about sustainability that aligns with one or more of the barriers mentioned above.
- Guidance of a student, especially for interviews, data, documents, and refining their research question, starting from November 2024. Students will have an academic supervisor from their program.
- Attendance at the round table session on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, and the final meeting on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, of the Thesis Lab program.
- Contribution to the growing network of greening healthcare. We aim to actively stimulate exchange between professionals, researchers, and students, as well as between institutions and companies. This will be achieved by sharing available knowledge and research, new research questions, and practical experiences (what works where, and what can we learn from it?).
What is a Thesis Lab?
A team of 10 to 14 master’s or applied sciences graduate students from various programs in South Holland will work on a sustainability challenge from healthcare practice. The students will work on their graduation project (within their program) and participate in a six-month program of 12 sessions between February and June 2025. This program will delve deeper into the question: What is needed to implement and sustain green solutions in the Dutch healthcare sector? The program includes site visits, round table discussions, and workshops. During the final meeting, students will share their (joint) results.
Do you have a question about the program?
Contact Ilse Markensteijn, LDE Centre for Sustainability: i.d.markensteijn@cml.leidenuniv.nl / +31 6 34328282
Click here for the results from:
Also read:
Final Presentation Thesis Lab: How the Marlboro Man and the Sausage Roll Disappeared from the Scene | Centre for Sustainability
Report Medical Delta Café Sustainable Healthcare: “Not more, not less, but different” | Medical Delta
Medical Delta's research on making healthcare more sustainable | Medical Delta
