Open Talks: Psychology, Environment & Justice

Open Talks offers an open and non-judgmental space for reflection and discussion on key social transformations of our time. Each session invites researchers, students, and citizens to think together about how digitalisation, mobility, and technology are reshaping our societies and daily lives.

The initiative is organised by the Social Science Sector Plan teams Societal Transitions and Behaviour Change (STaB) and Human Factors in New Technology (HINT).

THIS SESSION

From knowledge to change in the polycrisis: Psychology, Environment and Social Justice
Speaker: Prof Dr Manuel Riemer

Communities across the world are increasingly facing complex challenges such as the impacts of climate change, lack of affordable housing, rising costs of living, increasing loneliness, and decreasing trust in government, all with negative implications for mental health, especially for young people. In the context of this polycrisis, what is the role of research, and what should research look like when trying to create change within complex dynamic systems under these circumstances?  

In this presentation, Dr Riemer will draw from three research programs at the intersection of psychology, environment, and social justice, grounded in community psychology principles, to explore answers to these questions. First, he will discuss conceptual work and research related to helping local governments adapt to the complexity of the polycrisis. Next, he will share insights from work on developing cultures of sustainability in organisations, including a net-positive energy multi-tenant office building and schools. Finally, he will present work related to supporting community-led climate resilience. He will conclude by discussing the challenges in doing this type of research and how his research evolved to become more systemically oriented.

After the presentation and open talk will be held with Dr Riemer and 3 panellists from the University of Twente:

• Prof. Dr Justine Blanford
• Dr. Diana Reckien
• Dr. Michel Bourban

Moderated by Dr Alejandro Dominguez Rodriguez

At the end of the open talk, there will be time for citizens, students, and researchers to ask questions to the speaker and panellists.

Why attend

Open Talks provides a space to connect across disciplines and perspectives — where curiosity meets research, and ideas lead to dialogue. Expect an informal and inspiring atmosphere that encourages critical thinking, open exchange and reflection on how digitalisation and mobility are reshaping our societies.