From the cooperating Leiden-Delft-Erasmus universities, the LDE Global programme has existed for several years. This funds short-term international, interdisciplinary cooperation projects every year. Four new projects will start again this spring.
Scientific and many societal problems concern the whole world. We can only solve these together, and I am happy that we can help researchers do so.'
Researcher proposals were assessed by a committee consisting of Prof Marleen Dekker (Leiden University), Prof Janny Dankelman (TU Delft) and Prof Jurian Edelenbos (Erasmus University Rotterdam). Out of 12 strong proposals from teams consisting of scientists from the three LDE universities and from institutions in the Global South, the committee chose the following four:
1. Fighting fire disasters in urban informal settlements
A consortium led by Dr Lotte Asveld (TU Delft) is tackling practical challenges around fire disaster response in urban informal settlements in Kenya. The initiative is based on the experiences of community firefighters and priorities within Nairobi's informal settlements.
It is based on fire risk research conducted between 2023 and 2024 in informal settlements in both Nairobi (Kenya) and Casablanca (Morocco), and is inspired by the potential of existing innovations in fire safety. Partner is the Africa Fire Mission, a non-profit organisation dedicated to strengthening the capacity of fire brigades across Africa.
2. Socio-spatial effects of green hydrogen
Another team, led by Dr Eric Cezne (Leiden University), will focus on the effects the global green-hydrogen (GH2) rush is having on society in Namibia. The team aims to develop socio-spatial insights and foster transnational dialogues on the emerging GH2 sector in the country. This will examine how affected populations interact with and are affected by GH2 infrastructures and technologies. There will be collaboration from LDE universities with colleagues from Namibia, Brazil and the UK.
3. Mental health among young African descendants of Western colonialism
The third approved project concerns “psychological decolonisation” and mental health in young African descendants of Western colonialism, in Ghana and the diaspora. A team led by Prof Carolien Rieffe (Leiden University) aims to develop an assessment tool to explore the ideas and beliefs of young African individuals from former colonised countries or from the diaspora regarding “psychological decolonisation".
In addition, efforts will be made to develop a social media campaign toolkit, including digital assets, to create awareness and engage the public in redesigning public spaces. Collaborations will include the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, Ghana.
4. Respiratory viruses, environment and immune responses in asthma among children in urbanised parts of Indonesia
In the latest project, Erasmus MC, TU Delft and Leiden University Medical Centre are collaborating with Universitas Airlangga in Surabaya, Indonesia. The topic is the role of respiratory viruses, environment and immune responses in asthma among children in the urbanised parts of Indonesia. The project aims to establish a multidisciplinary consortium to investigate the links between respiratory viruses and asthma in children in Indonesia.
This takes into account influences from the environment and lifestyle. The results of this project will provide valuable insights for developing effective public health strategies and preventive measures against childhood asthma. The project is led by Prof Hermelijn Smits (Leiden University Medical Centre).
