Author: Hanne Bakelants
Date: 21-11-2024
Supervisors:
Prof. Joachim Cohen, End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Prof. dr. Sarah Dury, Society and Ageing Research Lab, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Society and Ageing Research Lab)
Prof. dr. Filip Van Droogenbroeck, Data Analytics Laboratory, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Abstract
At various stages in our lives, everyone will face experiences of serious illness, death, and bereavement. Yet these experiences often appear as taboo topics and are almost exclusively embedded in professional healthcare narratives and practices. In response, the Compassionate Community approach has been introduced as a new public health initiative, emphasizing the need to empower communities and build capacity to support each other in times of serious illness, death, and bereavement. There is a compelling argument that higher education institutions are particularly interesting settings for adopting this approach. They can play a significant role in supporting the well-being of students and staff facing these experiences, and in fostering a culture that acknowledges these issues as an integral part of academic and professional life.
In November 2019, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) declared itself as (mainland) Europe’s first ‘Compassionate University’, emphasizing the importance of support and compassion during times of serious illness, death, and bereavement. The overall aim of this dissertation is to examine the VUB’s development process towards a Compassionate University. To address this aim, five studies were conducted. Through these studies, the dissertation provides insights into the experiences and support needs of students and staff facing serious illness, death, and bereavement, discusses the challenges and opportunities associated with creating a compassionate university environment, and examines the activities and outcomes of the Compassionate University program.
