Prince Claus Chair Inaugural Lecture Professor Shazly Savahl

The Executive Board of Utrecht University has the pleasure of inviting you to a special ceremony in which Professor Shazly Savahl will formally accept the appointment to the Prince Claus Chair in Equity and Development 2024-2026 at Utrecht University on: 

Monday, May 26, 2025 from 4:15-5:00 PM 
Location: Auditorium, University Hall (Domplein 29, Utrecht)
Livestream via this link. 

If you wish to attend the ceremony, please register before May 19, 2025.

Title: The 10th Shift in Child and Youth Well-Being Research: A Global Social Justice Perspective towards a Child-Conscious Society.

At the heart of Professor Shazly Savahl’s work is a commitment to social justice and the vision of a child-conscious society. One that actively prioritises children’s rights, voices, and well-being

His research advances this goal by integrating subjective well-being data with objective quality-of-life indicators, offering a more comprehensive understanding of children’s experiences. “We use subjective data to complement objective quality of life indicators, providing a more complete foundation for developing programs and policies for children and young people” Savahl explains. 

As the Prince Claus Chair in Equity and Development, Professor Savahl champions authentic child and youth participation, ensuring that their perspectives shape the policies and programmes designed to improve their lives. His participatory and evidence-based approach seeks to translate research into meaningful action, fostering environments where children’s voices are not only heard but drive change.

In this inaugural lecture, he will explore the 10th major shift in child and youth well-being research, the increasing focus on social justice perspectives. He will examine how this shift can inform research, policy, and practice to build a more equitable, inclusive, and child-conscious society, where all children and young people have the opportunity to flourish.

Kind regards,

Prof. Wilco Hazeleger,
Rector Magnificus Utrecht University