Q&A with Honours Lecturer Dr Alain Dekker About His Honours Course

"The best learning happens when students step into the real world"

Since 2019, Dr Alain Dekker has been teaching the interdisciplinary Honours course "Dementia & Intellectual Disabilities," which explores dementia and intellectual disability care. Through small-group teaching, collaboration and creative projects, students gain first-hand experience of the challenges facing healthcare today. We spoke with him about his course, his partnerships with care organizations, and the impact on students and society.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

My name is Dr Alain Dekker, and I work at the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), where my research and teaching focus on the intersection of intellectual disability care and elderly care, particularly dementia in people with intellectual disabilities. Alongside my work at the University of Groningen and UMCG, I lead the Department of Practice-Oriented and Scientific Research (PWO) at Alliade Care Group in Friesland. My goal is to bridge academic research and everyday care, ensuring that research addresses the real needs of people, families and healthcare professionals.

How long have you been teaching at the Honours College?

I've been teaching at the Honours College since 2019, and it has been a real pleasure. What makes it special is the opportunity to teach in small, personalised groups rather than large lecture halls. In those smaller groups, I get to know students, see them develop, and take learning beyond the classroom. The Honours College encourages interdisciplinary learning, and this makes it possible to connect theory with practice in ways that simply aren't feasible in larger courses.

Can you tell us about the interdisciplinary Broadening Part course you teach at the Honours College?

The programme begins with a Broadening Module that introduces students to dementia and intellectual disability care through seven evening sessions. Students hear from guest lecturers with different professional backgrounds, including physicians, psychologists, legal experts and family members. Together, they demonstrate how complex healthcare challenges require multiple perspectives. The course is followed by a summer school. Students visit care organizations in Friesland before travelling to Paris to compare Dutch and French approaches to dementia care. This gives them the opportunity to reflect on different healthcare systems and learn from international practice.

The programme concludes with the Atelier, where students work together over the course of a year to produce a 15-minute documentary on a topic related to dementia and intellectual disabilities. Instead of writing a traditional essay, they create a resource that can be used by families, care professionals and organisations. The documentaries premiere at healthcare conferences and are later presented at the Honours Festival, giving students the opportunity to make a genuine contribution beyond the university.

How have you built relationships with research partners outside the University of Groningen, particularly through Alliade Care Group, and what impact has this had in the Northern Netherlands?

People with intellectual disabilities rarely receive dementia care in university hospitals. They are supported by specialised care organizations, so if we want our research and teaching to make a difference, we need to work where people actually live and receive care. That's why the partnership with Alliade Care Group is so important. Through my role at the Department of Practice-Oriented and Scientific Research (PWO), we bring together academic research, healthcare professionals, family members and students. Honours students visit care facilities, engage directly with professionals and residents, and learn from real-life situations rather than case studies alone.

These collaborations benefit everyone involved. Students gain practical experience, professionals are encouraged to reflect on their daily practice through the students' fresh perspectives, and research becomes more closely connected to the needs of people in the region. It truly demonstrates that combining academic knowledge with practice creates greater impact than either could achieve alone.

How have your activities and projects benefited Honours students?

The greatest benefit is that students learn by engaging with society rather than simply reading about it. They meet people with intellectual disabilities, talk to family members and professionals, and experience first-hand the challenges and opportunities within healthcare. The interdisciplinary environment also broadens their perspective. Students from psychology, medicine and other disciplines quickly realise that each field approaches the same problem differently, and that effective solutions require collaboration across disciplines.

One of the most rewarding aspects is the documentary project. Students consistently tell me how meaningful it is to create something with lasting value. Rather than producing an assignment that ends up on a lecturer's desk, they make documentaries that are used in professional training, shared through the national knowledge platform for intellectual disability care, and viewed at conferences. They know that their work is helping others, and that makes the learning experience far more impactful.

Ultimately, the Honours College gives students something that is difficult to achieve in traditional education: the opportunity to combine academic knowledge with real-world experience, creativity and societal impact.