Breda University of Applied Sciences is receiving an additional boost for practice-oriented research in leisure and tourism. Dr. Ilja Simons and Dr. Wim Strijbosch have each been awarded a postdoctoral fellowship of €125.000 by the SIA Steering Committee. Their research focuses on two themes relevant to the leisure sector: polyphonic heritage and immersion in themed entertainment.
Two grants for leisure research
BUas may add two postdoctoral fellowships from the SIA Steering Committee to its research portfolio. The fellowships are intended for promising researchers at universities of applied sciences who wish to further develop their research careers.
It is remarkable that two researchers from the same team are receiving a grant simultaneously. Both research projects align with academic degree programs at BUas in the field of tourism and leisure.
Heritage with multiple voices
Dr. Ilja Simons investigates polyphony, storytelling, and meaning-making in heritage, with case studies in Curaçao and Limburg. Central to her research is how residents give meaning to heritage in their daily lives, culture, and collective narratives.
This is relevant for destinations, museums, and heritage sites, because visitors increasingly expect not only a historical narrative but also space for different perspectives, identity, and local involvement.
Immersion in themed entertainment
Dr. Wim Strijbosch focuses on immersion in themed entertainment: the world of theme parks, attractions, and created experiential worlds. His research examines the question of how visitors can become fully absorbed in a designed environment.
In doing so, he makes use of bodily emotion measurements and eye-tracking research. BUas has the Experience Lab at its disposal for this purpose, where visitor experiences can be investigated in a scientific manner.
For theme parks, experience designers, and entertainment concepts, this research can yield new insights into experience, design choices, and visitor behavior.
Research with practical value
According to BUas, the grants align with the ambition to further develop as a European R&D university, with research that possesses both scientific depth and relevance to the professional field.
I am immensely proud of Ilja Simons and Wim Strijbosch. Their research touches upon major societal questions regarding identity, heritage, and experience, and they do so with scientific depth and an eye for practice.
— Ilja van Beest, Director of Research & Development BUas
BUas is the only university of applied sciences in the Netherlands that also offers independently accredited degree programs at the university level, including the university Bachelor's and Master's in Leisure & Tourism Studies.
More information
Source and more information: Breda University of Applied Sciences