Multiobjective decision-making in integrated water management

Traditionally, decision-making by water authorities in the Netherlands is largely based on intuition. Their tasks were, after all, relatively few and straight-forward. The growing number of tasks, together with the new integrated approach on water management issues, however, induces water authorities to rationalise their decision process. In order to choose the most effective water management measures, the external effects of these measures need to be taken into account. Therefore, methods have been developed to incorporate these effects in the decision-making phase. Using analytical evaluation methods, the effects of various measures on the water system (physical and chemical quality, ecology and quantity) can be taken into consideration. In this manner a more cognitive way of choosing between alternative measures can be obtained. This paper describes an application of such a decision method on a river basin scale. Main topics, in this paper, are the extent to which uncertainties (in technical information and deficiencies in the techniques applied) limit the usefulness of these methods, and also the question whether these techniques can really be used to select measures that give maximum environmental benefit for minimum cost. It is shown that the influence of these restrictions on the validity of the outcome of the decision methods can be profound. Using these results, improvement of the methods can be realised

Citizenship Education in Post Modern Society

Dealing with citizenship education as a part of formal education, I argue that the international human rights culture and human rights education can serve as a fundamental reference for contemporary citizenship education and that conflict pedagogy is an adequate teaching strategy. I try to draw a picture of how such education can be perceived from a pedagogical and didactical point of view, making a set of recommendations to actualize this perspective on values and citizenship education. Dans l’optique que l’éducation à la citoyenneté est une composante de l’éducation formelle, je mets en évidence que la culture internationale des droits humains et que l’éducation aux droits de l’homme peuvent servir de référence fondamentale. Je démontre aussi que la pédagogie de la résolution des conflits est une stratégie d’enseignement adéquate. Je dresse le portrait de la perception d’une telle éducation du point de vue pédagogique et didactique, tout en formulant une série de recommandations en vue d’actualiser cette perspective à l’éducation aux valeurs et à la citoyenneté

Infinitive avoidance and splendid isolation: Rousseau and the use of conflicts in education

The impact of Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s educational philosophy can hardly be overestimated. In this article, I re-examine Rousseau’s key text Emile, or On Education and discuss his concept of conflict and the use of conflicts in his imaginary educational philosophy. A detailed analysis suggests that Rousseau was not only an extreme avoider of conflict, by putting Emile in multiple forms of isolation, but that he also postponed any form of social conflict and carefully controlled, directed and manipulated Emile’s personal and social experiences. To realise a new way of upbringing following the ‘natural’ development of the child, I contend that Rousseau excelled in an obsessively controlled and manipulative pedagogy. Liberation from social norms and traditions – by following the unfolding ‘natural development’, which was Rousseau’s overall project – turned into an individual dictate ruled by an omnipresent educational governor: Rousseau. I conclude that Rousseau’s philosophy of education was deliberately anti-social and might well be a fundamental barrier to regaining conflicts in education

Towards Open Science within Health Care Technology and Management Education - presentation Open Science Kitchen

This presentation provides an introduction to the "Towards Open Science in Health Care Technology and Management Education" Comenius Teaching fellowship. The presentation took place on the 14th of July 2022