Paul
Paul van Eijk
Validated Lead Expert
Generic Skills
B.1. Understanding of integrated and sustainable urban development:
As environmental engineer I finished a comprehensive doctoral research project on changing water management as part of urban renewal. The research was conducted at Delft University of Technology as part of the research programme of the Delft Interfaculty Research Centre - Sustainable Built Environment. The title of the Ph.D thesis is (2003): "Renewal with Water: a participative strategy for the urban environment". During my Ph.D research I was also coordinating the sustainable development of the city of Haarlem. By doing so I was able to do a plan-making action research in the day-to-day reality of recent urban renewal programmes. I experimented with design concepts and workshop methods in different contexts of urban renewal in different cities.
B.2. Understanding of exchange and learning processes at transnational level:
I participated in several international projects such as: PURE, Planning for Urban-rural River Environments 'Planning with Water'. The PURE project was a part of the Interreg IIIB North Sea program. In this project transnational learning was the driving force (UK, Sweden (Chalmers University), the Netherlands, Finland) especially focussed on spatial and sustainable development. As dean of the Academy of Architecture, Built Environment and Civil Engineering at the Hanze University of Applied Sciences in Groningen I was closely involved in setting up exchange programmes (education and research) for teachers, researchers and students. As strategic manager at the province of Drenthe (NL) it was my responsibility to organise the 10th ENCORE-conference in the northern part of the Netherlands. The ENCORE conferences (http://www.encoreweb.eu) are based on the principles of transnational learning of all kind of experiences of sustainable development and building alliances. In 2012 the theme was Soil, Energy and Climate Change.
B.3. Proficiency in English:
Level C1. As Ph.D candidate I wrote several English articles and I held presentations for example in Portland (Oregon, USA) and in (Dublin, Ireland). As lector (professor) at Van Hall Larenstein, University of Applied Sciences, the meetings of the Applied Research Group are in English. I give guest-lectures in English at Van Hall Larenstein, University of Applied Sciences for the domain Animals & Business, including recently for the course Eco-socio studies (March 2016). I am currently coaching students (M.Sc/B.Sc) from foreign countries and Ph.D students as well. The Ph.D students are Portuguese and our common language is English. I recently was the chairman of a session called Applied Research of Water Systems during the annual international conference of the Wetsus research institute (Leeuwarden, October 2015). As dean I am responsible for the development of an international network of knowledge institutes (China, Korea, Germany).
Expertise for the design and delivery of transnational exchange and learning activities:
Summary Expertise for the design and delivery of transnational exchange and learning activities:
I developed the Participative Strategy (PS). Participation is the result of intentional communication and direct interaction at the same time. In fact, the PS merges the complex concepts of the Guiding Principle Approach and the Soft Systems Method. Participants are public and private representatives; professional and non-professional disciplines. The PS can easily be used in a transnational context. In essence the PS creates conditions for a trans-disciplinary learning process. I use the PS to generate a common language to achieve shared understanding among participants for their interests and for the design-solutions they interactively develop. Design-solutions which contribute to sustainable development of urban water systems by making the transnational social learning process explicit.
Thematic expertise:
Theme / Policy:
Integrated Urban Renewal
Summary Thematic expertise:
As environmental engineer I am specialised in the sustainable development of urban water systems. Changing processes such as sustainable development of water systems are dynamic, uncertain and complex. The substantive issues of sustainable development are just as important as the process itself. Based on theoretical insights of both (ecological conditions theory and the soft systems method) my expertise is the use of the Guiding Principle Approach. This approach is similar to a toolkit in which all kind of technical, spatial and social tools can be used in different contexts to contribute or accelerate sustainable development. In this case I am an ''expert by experience' in the field. One of these tools I developed by bringing theory into practise is the Participative Strategy (PS). The PS encourages trans-disciplinary environmental stewardship of all stakeholders involved in various working procedures. The PS facilitates a collective learning process and thus stimulates cooperation in the development of proposals for a new water management regime, which are elaborated, applied and maintained in subsequent stages of the urban renewal planning process. The design proposals are, via the PS, the result of a cooperative process for which the participants are jointly responsible. They are integrated design proposals because the environmental, spatial and social aspects have all been incorporated during the various working procedures. These activities maintain continuity in the changes in water management during the planning process. As a professor Sustainable Water Systems at Van Hall Larenstein, University of Applied Science I have a strong 'learning by doing' attitude. I still develop the toolbox with my ''expertise by experience'' in the field of changing or transition processes in all kind of contexts.
Informations
Residence location:
Netherlands
Languages:
Dutch - Mother tongue
Foreign Languages level:
Foreign languages:
Foreign Languages level:
Foreign languages:
Email:
paul.vaneijk@hvhl.nl