Health Humanities Research Seminar

Health and the Natural Environment — An Interdisciplinary Seminar for PhD Researchers at KU Leuven 

Organised by the Leuven Centre for Health Humanities (LCH²) — 2026

The Leuven Centre for Health Humanities offers an interdisciplinary research seminar for PhD students from all backgrounds (biomedical sciences, natural sciences and humanities). The focus of this year’s seminar is on “Health and the Natural Environment”, in close relation to the Centre’s Lecture Series. The seminar explores how ideas of nature have shaped—and have been shaped by— practices of medical care, social control, and coexistence between humans and other species.

Participating doctoral researchers attend an introductory session and six lectures by international speakers, from different fields, including medical history, psychology, disability studies, colonial studies, and environmental humanities. These lectures are followed by in-depth discussions, moderated by professors at KU Leuven.

Topics range from the rise of disposable medical technologies and their environmental costs, to colonial disease management at the cattle frontier, and from the ambivalent role of “nature” in the lives of people with disabilities to contemporary debates on the restorative effects of natural environments. The seminar also turns to the microbial world, challenging human exceptionalism and rethinking health as multispecies interdependence rather than biological mastery. We invite PhD researchers to broaden their horizons by becoming acquainted with these topics and, in doing so, better understand the entangled relations between health and nature.

 

Practical information

  • For whom? The seminar is intended for PhD researchers from all backgrounds, ranging from the biomedical and natural sciences to the humanities. PhD students who attend at least 5 of the 6 seminars will be provided with a joint certificate from the three doctoral schools of KU Leuven, which can be included in their doctoral training programme. The seminar is open to PhD students from KU Leuven and other Flemish universities.
  • By whom? The lectures are provided by international experts from different disciplines and are moderated by prof. Pieter Adriaens (Institute of Philosophy). The seminars are coordinated by prof. Joris Vandendriessche (Faculty of Arts) and moderated by various members of the LCH² steering committee. International experts also join the discussion during the seminars.
  • When? All lectures will take place from 4pm to 5:15pm. After a short break, the discussion session follows from 5:30pm to 6:30pm. The introduction session for the research seminars will take place from 4pm.
  • Where? All seminars will be held in person. The lectures take place in auditorium Emma Vorlat (Van Evenstraat 4, Leuven) or Tweebronnen Bibliotheek (Rijschoolstraat 4, Leuven). For most discussion sessions, we will get together in a nearby room at Agora (room M00.E67).
  • Preparatory reading. Upon registration, you will be added to the Toledo Community where you can find the preparatory reading. You are expected to read one text before each seminar.
  • Questions? For questions and more information, contact Joris Vandendriessche.

For more information, visit the webpage.

TERUG NAAR OVERZICHT

PRAKTISCHE INFO

  • DATUM
    05 maart, 2026
  • LOCATIE
    icon For most discussion sessions, we will get together in a room at Agora (room M00.E67).

    3000 Leuven
    Find more information here
  • DOELGROEP
    PhD
  • TAAL EVENEMENT
    ENGELS
SCHRIJF JE HIER IN

ONZE UNIVERSITEITEN