Planbureau Fryslân and NHL Stenden appoint endowed professor to turn regional ambitions into action
Wouter Marchand will take up his position as endowed professor of Design-led Approaches to Transitions on 1 November. The appointment was made possible through collaboration between Planbureau Fryslân and NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences.
In his new role, Marchand will focus on translating ambitions for broad prosperity into practical strategies and shared decisions. Broad prosperity encompasses everything people consider important in life, including health, education, the environment, social cohesion, personal development and safety.
Through this professorship, Planbureau Fryslân and NHL Stenden aim to move beyond defining and monitoring broad prosperity towards taking a design-led approach to action, turning analysis into concrete steps. This approach fits well with NHL Stenden's educational concept of design-based education (DBE), which connects regional challenges with international perspectives.
Shared decisions for the region
The appointment also marks an important step for Planbureau Fryslân. The professorship will deepen understanding of complex societal challenges related to broad prosperity. This will enable the organisation to move beyond data and analysis and provide even better support in developing shared decisions that benefit the region.
Marchand will work with public authorities and partners to turn broad prosperity agendas into concrete plans. Within NHL Stenden, the professorship will be part of the Reconomy research group, ensuring strong links with both education and research. It will also collaborate with other research groups to build integrated connections across sectors.
