Upcoming events
Information Lunch Learning Communities (Curacao, Hydrogen, Solar, Maassluis)
Thursday January 16th 2025, 12:45 - 13:30
Location will be communicated!
Do you want to make an impact on creating a sustainable society as part of your curriculum?
Collaborate with fellow students (HBO/WO/MBO), companies, teachers, governmental institutions, and citizens. This can be part of your JIP, BEP, internship, MEP, or course project.
This information session will cover the following Learning Communities:
Are you interested in joining for Q3 or Q4?
Find possible assignments on the specific learning community page.
Questions? Reach out to: r.h.bossen@tudelft.nl
Information Lunch Sustainable Healthcare
Thursday January 23rd 2025, 12:45-13:45
Location will be communicated!
Are you an MBO, HBO, or WO student interested in Sustainable Healthcare and eager to make an impact? Then we are looking for you! TUD and The Hague University of Applied Sciences are working closely together and are looking for students to join the Even Groene Vrienden Learning Communities (LC) in Q3/Q4! In this learning community, students from MBO, HBO, and WO come together to work, innovate, and learn with stakeholders, teachers, and hospitals on solutions to complex societal problems.
Over lunch, we will discuss all the challenges you can focus on in our learning community, Sustainable Healthcare. Whether you are already participating or interested in joining, it’s worth coming!
Find possible assignments here.
Questions? Reach out to: r.h.bossen@tudelft.nl
Motivation
The climate crisis is the greatest threat to public health.
Climate change and environmental pollution are leading to an increasing number and variety of health concerns. For example, this includes infectious diseases and heat stress. In the Netherlands, the healthcare sector is responsible for 7% of greenhouse gas emissions, 4% of waste, and 13% of resource consumption. By providing healthcare, the sector thus contributes to the climate crisis. It is this paradox that the healthcare sector aims to break.
Learning Community
Sustainable Healthcare
This Learning Community focuses on sustainable healthcare and interdisciplinary collaboration. This means that as part of a community, you will be in contact with others. You exchange information with fellow students and provide each other with feedback. Hospitals, suppliers, and purchasing organizations also participate in the Learning Community and provide you with professional feedback. Communication is key when executing your assignment, as well as involving others in your research and maintaining contact with various parties.
Stakeholders:
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TU Delft
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Zorgservice XL
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Various Dutch hospitals
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The Hague University of Applied Sciences
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Utrecht University of Applied Sciences
Coaches:
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Dr. Bart van Straten (TUD)
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Jeroen Zoller, MSc (ZorgserviceXL)
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Representatives from hospitals in the South Holland region
Goal
The goal of the Learning Community is to contribute to the Green Deal: Sustainable Healthcare.
The goal is a 50% reduction in resource consumption by 2030 and maximum circularity by 2050.
Since there are many different ways to work towards this goal, it has been decided to use the R-Ladder with circular strategies as a framework to address the various challenges.
Current Project Cases
Below you can find an overview of the project cases currently available in the Sustainable Healthcare Learning Community:
Topic: Making complex medical devices more modular
Enhancing modularity in medical devices could streamline end-of-life disassembly and enable part interchangeability, thereby extending the device’s overall lifespan. How can this approach be balanced with maintaining proper safety standards?
Topic: Logistical redesign for hospital waste management
Optimizing hospital waste management through a comprehensive logistical redesign to enhance efficiency, ensure regulatory compliance, reduce environmental impact, and minimize operational costs.
Topic: Redesign waste separation in hospitals (O.R.)
Making waste separation easier and more efficient for hospital staff whilst improving accuracy and compliance, all within the limited space of the operating room.
Topic: Redesign of the syringe without needle
Of all hospital waste, the syringe without needle has the biggest environmental impact. How can this product be re-imagined to reduce its ecological footprint without harming its usability, efficiency and use safety
Topic: How to improve energy and water recovery in hospitals
Advancing sustainable healthcare in the Netherlands by exploring processes to reduce CO2 emissions through the reuse of water and heat currently discharged into the sewage system.
Topic: How to redesign material efficient instrument strips?
Material strips are used to secure medical equipment. How can these strips be redesigned for large-scale manufacturing while remaining environmentally friendly?
Topic: How to redesign hospital products from recycled materials?
Hospital waste materials like PP and PET can be recycled and repurposed into new products for medical use. Where can this recycling be applied, and what product and legal standards must be met to ensure its viability?
Topic: How to inform hospital staff of change in their routine
Developing effective strategies to communicate routine changes to hospital staff, ensuring clarity, minimizing disruption, and fostering adaptability in daily operations
Contact
What We Provide
01
Project Design
Describe the service and how customers or clients can benefit from it. It’s an opportunity to add a short description with relevant details, like pricing, duration and how to book.
02
Construction Management
Describe the service and how customers or clients can benefit from it. It’s an opportunity to add a short description with relevant details, like pricing, duration and how to book.
03
Site Evaluation
Describe the service and how customers or clients can benefit from it. It’s an opportunity to add a short description with relevant details, like pricing, duration and how to book.
04
Construction
Describe the service and how customers or clients can benefit from it. It’s an opportunity to add a short description with relevant details, like pricing, duration and how to book.
05
Cost Modeling
Describe the service and how customers or clients can benefit from it. It’s an opportunity to add a short description with relevant details, like pricing, duration and how to book.
Key Principles
In addition to the points above, we also focus on the following principles.
With the agreements below, we ensure that the Learning Community is valuable for everyone involved:
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Everyone who gains knowledge also shares knowledge.
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Everyone is an expert.
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Everyone participates; if you cannot attend, you arrange a replacement.
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Knowledge, expertise, and products belong to all of us.
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Together, we advance knowledge, products, and expertise.
Platform
On the website www.evengroenevrienden.nl, (potential) stakeholders can find general information about all available Learning Communities. Through the website, issues can also be submitted.
A platform is being developed where stakeholders, students, and educational institutions can connect with each other and upload deliverables. The online education platform from EdX will serve as the foundation for this. Once the platform is complete, a link will be provided on this page.
Projectorganisation & Communication
The project organization of this Learning Community is formed by Linette Bossen and Bart van Straten. Linette Bossen is the project leader of the projects "Streetwise: learning with society" and "ET-TLC: Energy Transition – Talent in Learning Communities." The Learning Communities within Even Groene Vrienden originated from these projects. Bart van Straten is an expert in sustainability and circular healthcare. He is affiliated with the company Van Straten Medical and several educational and government-related institutions.
Their role is to facilitate the various co-creation sessions and partner sessions, along with the associated communication, as well as keeping the platform and learning path up to date.
What is expected from students
A student must meet the requirements of the course in which they are completing an assignment for the Learning Community (self-monitoring and coordinating with the relevant teacher).
What is further expected from students:
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Complete two reflection questionnaires: one before participation and one afterward (for internal research purposes).
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Attend two co-creation sessions.
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Participate in sprint sessions with fellow students.
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Deliver a presentation at the partner session.
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Write a reflection report.
Learning Community
Learning communities are the driving force behind innovative developments. Professionals from companies, governments, and NGOs collaborate in Learning Communities with researchers, teachers, and students from various educational institutions. In Learning Communities, learning, working, and innovating take place in small groups united by a shared interest. The goal is to develop and share knowledge and find solutions to complex societal problems.
Stakeholders & Meetings
We organize 2 partner sessions per year where students present their results through pitches. It is important for all participants to be present to enable meaningful discussions. These sessions are likely to take place in September and February.
In between, co-creation sessions are organized where students and stakeholders of a specific topic come together to discuss the assignment. Each 10-week cycle includes at least 2 co-creation sessions, each lasting approximately 2 hours. It is essential for organizations wishing to participate to commit to these sessions.
Expectations for Stakeholders:
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Attend 2 topic-specific co-creation sessions per year.
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Participate in the partner sessions.
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Facilitate students in their research, for example, by providing meeting spaces, assisting with interviews, offering guidance, providing contacts, or enabling shadowing opportunities in environments such as hospitals.
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If JIP (Joint Interdisciplinary Project) students are involved in the Learning Community, a coach from the organization will be available (see attachment for the Joint Interdisciplinary Project).
