We are proud to collaborate with partners committed to developing inclusive and future-oriented approaches to global health. One such partner is Leiden University College (LUC) The Hague, a liberal arts and sciences honours college offering interdisciplinary education focused on global challenges.
LUC’s Global Public Health major, is grounded in the conviction that today’s health challenges necessitate both academic and societal engagement. Josien De Klerk explains: “We are training students not only in theory and method, but in how to become ethical, reflective global citizens who can work with others in meaningful and respectful ways.”
Real-world challenges
With a teaching approach based on “research-based teaching and teaching-based research,” LUC blends rigorous academic skills with hands-on collaboration. Students tackle real-world challenges, including health equity, climate change, and resilience, often collaborating directly with local and international organisations. LUC’s partnership with the Hub emerged organically through a couple of its very own students. A group of LUC interns at the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport recognized the potential for deeper collaboration and initiated the connection. “They made this happen,” says De Klerk. “It shows how engaged our students are and how much they want to contribute to the global health field.”
LUC and the Hub
This connection has already opened doors for LUC faculty and students alike. Through the Hub’s Communities of Practice, faculty members are exploring new research collaborations with NGOs and health institutions, as well as opportunities to connect their research to policy development. “Our colleagues work with organisations like the Red Cross, Humanities across Borders, and local NGOs on topics such as climate change and education, health policy, maternal and child health, AI in health and ethical partnerships,” De Klerk notes. “The Hub gives us a place to connect, align, and contribute from our own academic and community-focused perspectives.” For students, the Hub represents a chance to contribute meaningfully during and after their studies, through internships, debates, and collaborative projects. “We’re always looking for partners who can host our students,” says De Klerk. “And we offer interns who are committed, talented, and already trained to navigate diverse global contexts.”
Podcast
One such example is a student-led podcast, co-produced with community health workers in South Africa. The project, based on De Klerk’s research on maternal and infant mental health, provides a platform for local voices and offers insight into how global frameworks of child development translate into local realities. “We analyse stories written by home visitors to understand how interventions function on the ground, and the podcast helps share those experiences more widely,” she says.
Looking ahead, LUC plans to deepen its societal engagement through a revised first-year curriculum focused on and local action in The Hague. “From the very start, our students learn how to work across sectors, across cultures, and disciplines,” De Klerk explains. “The Hub helps us continue that mission.”
We’re excited to welcome Leiden University College as a partner and look forward to exploring how student-driven, ethically grounded education can shape the future of global health!
Josien de Klerk.