Inaugural lecture Amaranta de Haan: Strengthening the pedagogical foundation for thriving childhoods

On Thursday, 17 April, Amaranta de Haan will deliver her inaugural lecture at the Academy Building of the University of Groningen. With this lecture, she will officially accept her appointment as professor by special appointment of Strengthening the Pedagogical Foundation, a chair established on 1 February 2025 through a collaboration between the Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences and the Netherlands Youth Institute (NJi).

In her inaugural lecture, she emphasizes the importance of a strong pedagogical foundation: the full range of facilities, social relationships, and networks surrounding families, such as childcare, education, sports clubs, and informal support structures. According to De Haan, this pedagogical foundation forms an essential pillar for the healthy, safe, and opportunity-rich development of children and young people. Strengthening it not only helps prevent problems and reduce reliance on youth care services, but also enhances the resilience of society as a whole.

Her research focuses on the well-being and resilience of parents, caregivers, children, and young people in diverse family forms within a diverse society. She adopts a multisystemic and inclusive approach, working in co-creation with families and societal partners to examine which sources of support help people cope with everyday and long-term stressors.

In addition to her position at the University of Groningen, Amaranta de Haan works as an expert on child development and parenting at the Netherlands Youth Institute. Through her chair, she aims to contribute to equal access to services for all parents and children, and to sustainable relationships within and between groups in society.