Who are we?
We are a group of researchers at Utrecht University who have turned to ecologically sustainable and socially just ways to organise our economy and society. We believe that contemporary issues – like socio-economic inequality, climate change and the COVIC-19 pandemic – ask us to look at new, more horizontal, interconnected ways of working together between the university and the communities that experience these struggles firsthand.
We each work departing from our own expertises, but unite around this common goal.
Team
Current members
Ozan Alakavuklar
Utrecht University School of Governance (USG)
Utrecht University
With his research, Ozan attempts to access, support and work with/for activist communities that address the most urgent and current issues of our contemporary society concerning unsustainable practices and socio-ecological crises. He studies (non-capitalist) activist organisational practices as the main drivers of social change that transform the governing bodies and dominant market relations. By drawing arguments from critical political economy, he problematises hegemonic power relations leading to economic inequalities and social exclusion at the organisational and societal levels, and focuses on theories of post-capitalism to offer ecologically sustainable and socially just alternatives.
Giuseppe Feola
Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development
Utrecht University
Giuseppe conducts research on social-ecological change in modern societies, with a focus on agri-food systems, civil societies and social movements. He aspires to contribute to the societal debate on the transformation towards sustainability, by bridging theory and political action. Mostly using interdisciplinary and mixed-methods approaches, Giuseppe’s’ research examines why and how social, cultural, political and economic processes can lead to – or prevent – change towards a more sustainable world.
Yousra Rahmouni Elidrissi
Utrecht University School of Governance (USG)
Utrecht University
Yousra’s research is situated at the crossroads of Social Movements and Organisation Studies. It focusses on the significance of bodies, embodiment and identity in activists’ practices. Her research highlights the body as part of our self-identification, for example by addressing existing tensions between passionate commitment and a vulnerable body. For the last four years she has been working as an activist-scholar, investigating the work of a French climate movement engaged in the practice of non-violent direct action. More generally, she is interested in collective forms of resistance and dynamics of solidarity within communities.
Bobbi Jelgerhuis Swildens
Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development
Universiteit Utrecht
As a researcher with a background in both arts and academics Bobbi looks at complex urban challenges from a critical perspective whilst always making space for radical imaginations. Bobbi is actively involved in several urban environmental/social movements and her lived experiences fuel an ever-growing need to research for and with the city: to seek out stories, hopes and dreams that don’t naturally surface; that need untangling, probing and beckoning.
Past members
Dan Hassler-Forest
Humanities Institute for Cultural Inquiry (ICON)
Utrecht University
Dan has a background in film and television studies and English literature. In his research, Dan addresses the complex interplay of 21st century entertainment with politics and ideology – as popular culture is one of the primary domains where we consume, resist and define political identities. His first monograph Capitalist Superheroes breaks down how superhero movies embody neoliberal ideologies. In other research, he has shown how fantasy and science fiction offer ways of imagining alternatives to global capitalism. Dan’s work is grounded in neo-Marxist critical theory and critical race theory.
Patrizia Zanoni
Utrecht University School of Governance (USG)
Utrecht University
Patrizia is specialised in the theme Organisational Culture & Change at Utrecht University. She researches topics like diversity, control and resistance in organisations and alternative economies. Her work is based in the tradition of critical studies, critical discourse analysis and neo-Marxist theories. She has specifically researched the role of social identity (gender, ethnicity, (dis)ability, age) in relation to power, within and between organisations.
Anya Al-Salem
Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development
Utrecht University Alumni
Anya was a student of the Sustainable Development MSc programme at Utrecht University, where she specialised in the Energy & Materials track. She has a background in energy and sustainability and has previously conducted research on degrowth of aviation, the greenwashing practices of major fossil fuel companies, and pro-environmental behavior spillover. Through her work, Anya is interested in contributing to a radical societal transformation towards a system that prioritises social wellbeing within ecological limits.
Alina Miericke
Utrecht University Alumni
Alina was a post-graduate student of Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Utrecht University. She has previously conducted research on renewable energy cooperatives as post-capitalist alternatives to current energy ownership systems. As a climate justice activist, Alina is interested in organizing for socio-ecological transformation by supporting and empowering grassroots movements, community initiatives and activist organisations.
Marie Sijbers
Utrecht University School of Governance (USG)
Utrecht University Alumni
Marie was a master’s student in sustainable development at Utrecht University. She has a background in sustainability and economics and has previously conducted research on the role of citizen participation in the energy transition. Marie has a specific interest in urban sustainability challenges and fair societal transitions in an urban context.
Belle Tonk
Utrecht University School of Governance (USG)
Utrecht University Alumni
Belle has a background in Communication and Life Sciences, making her mindful to building bridges between theoretically complex life science subjects such as sustainability, nature, health and climate and everyday practice. With a Masters degree in Organisation, Change and Management, Belle has a specific interest in organisational culture change and alternative ways of organising in order to create a more (social) sustainable society.
