The project, “Inspirational Role Models for Students in Sciences” (Inspirerende Rolmodellen voor Bèta’s), has been awarded funding by the Dutch National Education Institute (Nationaal Kennisinstituut Onderwijs [NKO]). It focuses on embedding scientists with lived experience of illness into biomedical and medical teaching, enabling students to engage with perspectives that complement traditional scientific knowledge. 

Within this initiative, AUC’s interdisciplinary course The Human Body will contribute to the development of teaching practices that connect physiological concepts to lived experience. This approach supports a more comprehensive understanding of health and disease, encouraging students to consider not only biological mechanisms but also the human context in which they occur. 

The project builds on earlier educational innovations at Amsterdam UMC, where the involvement of actual patients and those individuals who have lived through illness and/or treatment has led to increased understanding and a deeper awareness of the impact of illness and treatments on the patient and their families or support networks. With this grant, these approaches will be further developed and implemented across a wider range of educational settings. 

By contributing to this initiative, AUC continues to support ongoing efforts to strengthen inclusive education, while also connecting academic learning with real-world perspectives in the Sciences and across disciplines.