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Humanist Chaplaincy Studies for a Plural Society

Continuation of Expertise Centre on Meaning-of-life issues and Chaplaincy


Start: 1 January 2025
End: December 2027

Status: ongoing


With a subsidy of 2.8 million from the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw), the Expertise Centre on Meaning-of-life issues and Chaplaincy (Dutch name: Kenniswerkplaats Zingeving en Geestelijke Verzorging) will be continued as of 1 January 2025. For three years, professionals from the fields of healthcare and welfare, education and research, together with clients and volunteers, will be able to continue with the professionalisation of care for meaning in the home situation. The University of Humanistic Studies is the project secretary.

Description

The overarching goal of the Expertise Centre is to provide good care for meaning in primary care, and in particular the professionalisation of spiritual care at home. In 2019, the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport made spiritual care at home accessible to people aged 50 and over, and to children and adults in the final stages of life. The programme will run until 2027 and must be evaluated. ZonMw therefore launched the research programme Meaning and Spiritual Care (Zingeving en geestelijke verzorging), which led to the Knowledge Workshop.


The Expertise Centre started in 2021, with an expansion in 2022. Researchers, educators and professionals from all kinds of organisations and sectors came together to focus on the theme of meaningfulness and worked with clients and volunteers to develop knowledge about this care. Together they built a shared infrastructure for exchanging knowledge and experience, and for developing new tools and insights for training and practice. There were 16 learning networks, 7 sector projects in the field of care and welfare, and 5 umbrella working groups. The past year also saw the launch of the  Kennisplein Zingeving (Knowledge Square for Meaning) pilot, an online development site for professionals in practice, education and research

Polyphonic structure

From 2025 until the end of 2027, the Expertise Centre can continue with the award of a new subsidy from ZonMw. The continuation is supported by a programme team made up of six collaborating partners: 


  • Vereniging van Geestelijk Verzorgers VGVZ
  • Vereniging van Samenwerkende Centra voor Levensvragen VSCL
  • Universitair Centrum voor Geestelijke Verzorging UCGV -  the partnership of universities with education and research in the field of spiritual care
  • Landelijk Opleidingsoverleg Theologie LOO-T - the partnership of universities of applied sciences with education and research in the field of spiritual care
  • A delegation from the broad practice ofn Zorg voor Zingeving
  • University of Humanistic Studies as the project secretary.

Gaby Jacobs, Professor in Chaplaincy Studies at the University of Humanistic Studies and chair of the Expertise Centre, is pleased with the recognition: ‘Over the past three years, we have laid the foundation for a beautiful polyphonic structure. I am proud of the hard work done by enthusiastic and dedicated professionals from all walks of life. The collaboration between practice, education and research is a fruitful one. We look forward to continuing to build on high-quality spiritual care and care for meaning in people's home situations. In this way, we are jointly contributing to an important social mission: more attention for meaning in our society.’


‘We will continue to dedicate ourselves fully to the Knowledge Workshop in the coming years,’ said rector Joke van Saane of the University of Humanistic Studies. ’All kinds of knowledge come together here in the way we like to see it: from research and science, professionals working in healthcare and welfare practices, educators, and volunteers and experts by experience. Together they create space for meaning and make a difference. That fits in seamlessly with the mission of the University of Humanistic Studies.’

(Co-)financing

ZonMw, programme Zingeving en Geestelijke verzorging

See also

Contact

Project manager Jorika Baarda, j.baarda@uvh.nl

General contact: info@kenniswerkplaatszingeving.nl

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Sign up for the newsletter on the homepage of the website Kenniswerkplaats.

Until the end of 2027, professionals from the fields of healthcare and welfare, education and research, together with clients and volunteers, will be able to continue with the professionalisation of care for meaning in the home situation. The University of Humanistic Studies is the project secretary.