Michel Dückers appointed professor by special appointment 'Crises, safety and health'

As of December 1 Michel Dückers (1979) holds a special chair at the Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences of the University of Groningen. The chair is named 'Crises, safety and health'.

Crises and disasters threaten people's safety and health. An obvious example is the current corona crisis but there are other examples of ongoing crises, such as earthquakes due to gas extraction and global climate change. It is important to examine the consequences that those crises have for people and how, for instance, governments and service providers react to crises.

That is why four organizations, each dealing with disasters and crises within their own domain, have further reinforced their existing cooperation by establishing this special chair; namely ARQ National Psychotrauma Center, the Institute for Safety (IFV), the Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (Nivel) and the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM).

Michel Dückers: “For years I have been investigating the effects of major and minor crisis situations on people, the social dynamics of unrest, and the response by governments, companies and citizens. I am very pleased that thanks to the collaboration between four major players in this field I can fill this special chair. I look forward to bringing science and practice together and to contributing to strategies and ways to deal with crises. ”

About Michel Dückers

Prof. Dr. Michel Dückers (1979) is program leader disasters and environmental threats at Nivel and scientific advisor at ARQ Knowledge Center Impact of Disasters and Crises. His current research focuses on the vulnerability of people in communities in the Netherlands and abroad during the corona crisis. In addition to investigating long-term health effects of the natural gas quakes in Groningen, he has conducted research into the effects of exposure to disasters and other potentially shocking events in various cultures. Michel has been advising governments on health research and aftercare in the event of calamities since 2009.