Athena Institute

We believe that science should contribute to a healthy, inclusive and sustainable world. We aim to do so by analysing and integrating diverse stakeholder perspectives and enabling joint action.

Through studying and designing science-society interfaces Athena addresses complex societal issues in a sustainable and equitable way, as our transdisciplinary approach includes the knowledge and expertise of a wide variety of factors and actors – both scientific as well as non-scientific – in research and innovation processes. These different perspectives disclose needs and concerns, which enables adequate anticipation and maximises societal impact.

We strive to increase understanding of key factors in innovation processes, enrich science with increased societal legitimacy and improved research utilisation, and improve societal awareness of how innovations may benefit the sustainability, equity and fairness of societies.

To address this key question, our research focusses on understanding, facilitating, sustaining and upscaling these processes through reflexive monitoring and evaluation. Moreover, we focus on training and empowering stakeholders, professionals and students to facilitate and participate in these processes. This is supported by methodologies we have developed for knowledge integration.

Research domains

The different, but converging starting points of our analyses transpire into 5 research domains:

Emerging science and technology
(Global) health and well-being
Nature, agriculture and environment
Competency development
History of knowledge

Education programmes

Athena offers challenging and innovative educational programmes at the interface of life sciences and social sciences, and of theory and practice. We coordinate two Master’s programmes, various Master’s differentiations, Bachelor's minors and a major, and several individual courses.

View our education programmes.