Talks

Academic key lectures

  1. ‘The role of choice and control at the end of life: why, how and to whom does choice matter?’ Keynote at Columbia’s Center for Clinical Medical Ethics; Columbia University New York, October 17 2023.
  2. ‘Suffering from life in old age: ​encountering experiences of meaninglessness’, Key lecture at the Advanced European Bioethics Course ‘Suffering, Death and Palliative Care’ at the Radboud University Medical Center, NL, March 22 2022.
  3. ‘The darker side of ageing: towards an ethics of suffering’ Keynote at The 11th Annual McDonald Centre Conference Ageing, suffering, despair: Towards patience and hope for health and care, McDonald Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Life, University of Oxford, September 4 2020.
  4. ‘Beyond protocol ánd ideal: how to deal with ethical uneasiness in real-life research’. Key lecture at Winterschool Ethic, research, care, University of Verona, Italy, December 12, 2018.

Presentations at peer-reviewed, internationally established conferences:

  1. The darker side of ageing: the lived experience of older adults who suffer from life and wish to die, Presentation and discussion at the Conference ‘Learning from Suffering and Dying. New Languages from Sciences to the Humanities’ of the Association for the Study of Death and Society (ASDS), University of Padua, Italy, August 2023.
  2. But is it phenomenology? Applying a multi-perspective, longitudinal ​and ethnographically-informed approach ​in phenomenological research, Presentation at International Human Science Research Conference (IHSRC), Tokai University Tokyo, Japan, August 2023.
  3. The wish for a self-chosen death in old age: a longitudinal perspective, Presentation at ESSSB, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, August 2022.
  4. Legalizing assisted dying for older adults who are not seriously ill: the risk of ageism, Discussion at ESSSB, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, August 2022.
  5. The paradox of choice: a Ricoeurian perspective on decision-making at the end of life, Presentation at IHSRC, PACE University New York, USA, June 2022.
  6. An ethics of the self-chosen death in old age. Presentation at EACME, University of Oxford, UK, September 13, 2019
  7. Complexities and challenges regarding the Dutch politics of the self-chosen death in old age. Presentation and discussion at The International Conference of the Association for the Study of Death and Society (ASDS), University of Bath, UK, September 5, 2019.
  8. Choosing death to maintain ‘autonomy’ and ‘authenticity’. Presentation and discussion at the International Human Science Research Conference (IHSRC) in Molde, Norway, June 25 2019.
  9. Care and support of older people in the Netherlands who want to die because they consider their life ‘completed’: Conflicting views and knowledge claims. Panel presentation with Prof. dr. Sjaak van der Geest and drs. Priya Satalkar, at the International Annual Conference of the Swiss Anthropological Association, Zurich, Swiss, 22-23 November 2018.
  10. The precarious position of old people: a driver of the wish control time and manner of death. Presentation and discussion at the Care Ethics Research Consortium Conference 2018, Portland, Oregon, USA, 27-29 September 2018.
  11. The wish for a self-chosen death fueled by the fear for old age. Presentation and discussion at The European Association of Centres of Medical Ethics (EACME) Conference 2018, Amsterdam, 6-8 September 2018.
  12. Beyond the myth of controlling the finitude of life. Presentation and discussion at the International Human Science Research Conference in Wofford, USA, 24-28 June 2018.
  13. Ethical uneasiness and the need for open-ended reflexivity. Presentation and discussion at the 3rd International Ethics in Care Conference (& the 8th Nursing Ethics Conference) “Challenges and Opportunities for Ethics in Nursing and Care”, September 15-16, 2017 Leuven, Belgium (accepted).
  14. Assisted dying for healthy elderly people in The Netherlands: a call for prudence. Presentation and discussion at the 3rd International Ethics in Care Conference (& the 8th Nursing Ethics Conference) “Challenges and Opportunities for Ethics in Nursing and Care”, September 15-16, 2017 Leuven, Belgium (accepted).
  15. Towards a non-dualistic view on evidence for qualitative research. Presentation and discussion at the International Human Science Research Conference in Jelenia Gora, Poland, 11-14 July 2017.
  16. Caught between intending and doing, existential dilemmas in the human lifeworld. Presentation and discussion at the International Human Science Research Conference in Jelenia Gora, Poland, 11-14 July 2017.
  17. The life story is closed but life still goes on:The life story is closed but life still goes on: Narrative foreclosure in elderly people who consider their lives to be completed, Panel Presentation at the Annual Meeting of NGG 2015 “Religion And The Crisis Of Meaning” Nijmegen, Radboud University, Faculty of Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies Thursday 29 – Friday 30 October 2015.
  18. The need for an existential phenomenological approach to the wish to die in elderly people, Paper-presentation and discussion at the European Conference on Philosophy of Medicine and Health Care, in Ghent, Belgium, 22 August 2015.
  19. Dignity and trust at risk: A care-ethical reflection on the social dimension of the Dutch debate about elderly and a self-chosen death, Paper-presentation and discussion at the International Ethics in Care Conference, in Guildford, UK, 18th July 2015.
  20. The lifeworld of elderly people who feel life is completed and no longer worth living, Presentation at a Research Conference ‘Exploring care for human service professions’ of Nordic College of Caring Science & The European Academy of Caring Science, in Copenhagen, Denmark, 20th March, 2015.

Other invited academic lectures and presentations:

  1. Anticipating death and dying. The Hastings Center, New York, Garrison, October 19, 2023
  2. Contemporary Meanings of Ageing and Dying. Presentation and discussion at Okayama University, Japan, August 1, 2023
  3. Memento mori 2.0: over de groeiende nadruk op keuze ​rond dood en sterven in de latere levensfase​, Presentatie DONE-netwerk (Dood onderzoekers Nederland), 30 maart 2022
  4. Memento mori 2.0: New ways of seeing the enigmatic role of choice regarding death and dying in late life.Presentation at the ART&CARE study day, Exploring the intersection of the arts and care to impact society, University of Cambridge, UK, April 2 2021.
  5. Presentation: Assisted dying in old age: some reasons why we should be reluctant. The Hastings Center, Garrison NY, US, March 21 2019.
  6. Seminar ‘Choosing to die in old age: the fear for an untimely death’.The Hastings Center, Garrison NY, US, March 19 2019.
  7. Seminar ‘Changing Western notions about death and dying in old age: the fear for an untimely death, The Oxford Insitute of Population Ageing, UK, 6th March 2018.
  8. “Passie voor fenomenologisch onderzoek” Research presentation at Faces of Science, initiative of The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), March 2th 2017.
  9. Voltooid leven.Onderzoek naar de geleefde ervaring van ouderen die hun leven voltooid vinden en op een zelfgekozen moment willen sterven, Presentation and discussion at VU-University Amsterdam Medical Center, 13 November 2016.
  10. Ready to give up on life, Colloquium at Maastricht University, the Department of Health, Ethics and Society, 20 April 2016.
  11. A captive, a wreck, a piece of dirt: Images and metaphors embedded in culture and anchored in the flesh of older people with a death wish. Presentation and discussion at a meeting of research group Ageing Well & The Amsterdam Centre on Ageing, the University of Humanistic Studies, 11 February 2016.
  12. Disconnectedness from the here-and-now: A phenomenological perspective on the wish to die in older people. Presentation and discussion at a special research meeting at the UHS with our international guest Finn Hansen, 28 January 2016.
  13. Dignity and trust at risk: An ethical reflection on the Dutch debate about older people and the self-chosen death. Presentation and discussion at the KU Leuven, Centre for Biomedical Ethics and Law, 16 December 2015.
  14. De ervaringswereld van het voltooide leven. A public lecture at the University of Humanistic Studies, organised by the Partnership for Humanisation of Care for Older People, 10 December 2015.
  15. Telling secrets, exposing lives: about relational research ethics. Presentation and discussion at Windesheim University, Faculty of Health Care and Well-being, 3 December 2015.
  16. A phenomenological corrective on the medicalisation of death wishes in elderly people, Paper-presentation at Graduate School Session on “The opening up of the patient world; benefits of phenomenological research”, University of Humanistic Studies, Utrecht, 19 October 2015.
  17. Voltooid leven: Een kwalitatief onderzoek naar de ervaringswereld van ouderen die hun leven als voltooid beschouwen, Poster-presentation on NWO-Inspiratiedag, Amersfoort, 23 September 2015.
  18. A lunatic, a zombi, a piece of dirt: Images and metaphors embedded in culture and anchored in the flesh of elderly people, Paper-presentation and discussion at a Research Meeting of the Long-Term Care Partnership, at University of Amsterdam (UvA), The Netherlands, 1th July 2015.
  19. Elderly and Completed Life, Presentation and discussion at a Research Meeting of the Long Term Care Partnership, at University of Amsterdam (UvA), The Netherlands, 15th May 2014.

Lectures for health professionals:

  1. 2024: “Niemand wil ze laten gaan, maar jongeren die ondraaglijk psychisch lijden zien in euthanasie hun enige kans op genade”: over de morele en maatschappelijke aspecten van een euthanasieverzoek, Keynote en nagesprek, Studiemiddag Euthanasie bij psychisch lijden, GGZ Friesland, Leeuwarden (14 februari 2024)
  2. 2023: ‘De geleefde ervaring van ouderen met een doodswens’, Webinar ‘voltooid leven’, Carend, (21 maart 2023)
  3. 2023: Memento mori 2.0, keuzes rond het levenseinde, Lezing en workshop, Studiemiddag ZINNET CWZ Nijmegen, (1 maart 2023)
  4. 2023: ‘Voltooid leven, over leven en willen sterven’, Workshop op Nursing Jaarcongres Palliatieve Zorg (15 februari 2023)
  5. 2023: “Mijn leven is voltooid, ik ben er helemaal klaar mee.” ​Over de ervaringswereld van ​ouderen die lijden aan het leven​, Scholing Kaderopleiding Palliatieve Zorg, Apeldoorn (3 februari 2023)
  6. 2022: ​“Mijn leven is voltooid, ik ben er helemaal klaar mee.” ​Over de ervaringswereld van ​ouderen die lijden aan het leven​, Inleiding en intervisie SCEN-groep Nijmegen (15 november 2022)
  7. 2022: Key lecture ‘Keuzes rond het levenseinde’, Nursing Jaarcongres Palliatieve zorg, Reehorst, Ede (13 september 2022)
  8. ​2022: Referaat​ “Mijn leven is voltooid, ik ben er helemaal klaar mee.” ​Over de ervaringswereld van ​ouderen die lijden aan het leven​, GGZ, Wijenrode, Heerlen (22 september 2022)
  9. 2022: Doodswensen op latere leeftijd: wanneer is een leven voltooid? Lezing en gesprek, 113 zelfmoordpreventie, Amsterdam (17 mei 2022)
  10. 2022: Key lecture ‘Keuzes rond het levenseinde: hoe sta je hierin bij?’, Nursing Topsprekers in de Ouderenzorg, Reehorst, Ede (mei)
  11. 2022: Lecture ‘Voltooid leven en levensmoeheid’ at Symposium NVvP Voorjaarscongres 2022, Maastricht, on the occasion of our chapter in the new Handbook (April)
  12. 2022: Key lecture ‘Keuzes rond het levenseinde’, Reehorst, Ede Nursing Jaarcongres Palliatieve zorg (februari)
  13. 2022: Key lecture and panel discussion at Webinar Voltooid leven Carend (1 februari 2022)
  14. 2021 (June): Key lecture and debate ‘How to deal with wishes to die in older adults who are not severly ill? at symposium Centrum voor Levensvragen Gooi en Eemland & Tergooi MC locatie Hilversum
  15. 2021 (January): Key lecture and discussion ‘Older adults with a death wish: about the ‘grey area’ between euthanasia request regarding multiple geriateric syndroms and tiredness of life’ at yearly study day RTE (Regionale Toetsingscommissies Euthanasie)
  16. 2020 (December): Key lecture ‘About the wish to die in older adults who consider their lives to be completed’ at Symposium Persoonlijkheidsstoornissen bij ouderen, SCEM
  17. 2020 (September): Key lecture and discussion ‘The lived experience of older adults with a wish to die’, Leyden Academy, Executive leergang Veroudering en Gezondheidszorg, Leiden
  18. 2020 (February): Key lecture and debate ‘Suffering, about the meaning of (unbearable) suffering in psychiatry’at a study day of GGnet Apeldoorn
  19. 2018 (November): Lecture and discussion with SCEN-physicians, about the role of ‘complete life’ and tiredness of life in euthanasia requests, in Dirkshorn (intervisiegroep regio NH-Noord)
  20. 2018 (November): Key Lecture ‘Old and full of days: how to deal with tiredness of life in old age?’ Study day ‘Herstel in de ouderenzorg’, organised by several health care organisations, Leuven, Belgium
  21. 2018 (October): Key Lecture ‘Old and full of days: the lived experience of older adults who consider their lives to be completed, at Studiemiddag “Voltooid leven: wat hebben zorgverleners te bieden?” KU Leuven, Belgium
  22. 2018 (June): Key lecture ‘The role of the psychologist in cases of completed life’, at Symposium Dutch Institute of Psychologists (NIP), Utrecht
  23. 2018 (May): Plenary lecture ‘Completed life and the art of listening’, Congres Geriatric Giants, Rijckholt, Limburg.
  24. 2018 (April): Key lecture and Q&A about ‘Completed life’ at Compagnoncursus 2018 for GPs and other primary care professionals, De Lutte (2th cohort)
  25. 2018 (March): Key lecture and Q&A about ‘Completed life’ at Compagnoncursus 2018 for GPs and other primary care professionals, De Lutte (1th cohort)
  26. 2018 (February): Keynote: The lifeworld of older people tired of living.Geriatriedagen 2018, Den Bosch
  27. 2017 (november) Workshop National SCEN-Congres, Voltooid leven
    ‘over de rol van de scen-arts bij voltooid leven’, KNMG, Utrecht
  28. 2017: Lecture and discussion with SCEN-physicians, about the role of ‘complete life’ and tiredness of life in euthanasia requests, Rotterdam (intervisiegroep regio ZH)
  29. 2017: Lecture and discussion with SCEN-physicians, about the role of ‘complete life’ and tiredness of life in euthanasia requests, in IJmuiden (intervisiegroep regio NH-Zuid)
  30. 2017 (oktober) Key lecture and discussion: Voltooid leven: over leven en willen sterven, Branche meeting Palliatieve Zorg Nunspeet
  31. 2017 (oktober) Key lecture and discussion: Voltooid leven: over leven en willen sterven, Study day Brabant Zorg
  32. 2017: Plenary lecture: Completed life: on older people who suffer from life, De Leidse Ouderengeneeskunde Dagen
  33. 2017 (September): Key lecture ‘Completed life and the wish to die’, Nursing Palliative Care Congres, Den Bosch
  34. 2017 (June): Keynote ‘Completed life versus polypathology’, Expertisecentrum Waardig Levenseinde & Forum Palliatieve Zorg, Brussels, Wemmel (Belgium)
  35. 2017 (June): Key lecture and discussion about ‘Voltooid leven en de rol van de palliatief consulent’Consulentenscholing palliatieve zorg, Elst, Consortium Zuid-Oost (PalZO), IKNL
  36. 2017 (June): Key lecture and discussion about ‘Voltooid leven en de rol van de palliatief consulent’Consulentenscholing palliatieve zorg, Hengelo, IKNL
  37. 2017 (June) Masterclass ‘Ik hoop dat ik morgen niet meer wakker wordt: over voltooid leven’, eendaagse geaccrediteerde scholing voor zorgverleners, De Groene Lijn, in Utrecht
  38. 2017 (May) Masterclass ‘Ik hoop dat ik morgen niet meer wakker wordt: over voltooid leven’, eendaagse geaccrediteerde scholing voor zorgverleners, De Groene Lijn, in Rijen
  39. 2017 (April) Masterclass ‘Ik hoop dat ik morgen niet meer wakker wordt: over voltooid leven’, eendaagse geaccrediteerde scholing voor zorgverleners, De Groene Lijn, in Goes
  40. 2017 (February): Keynote ‘Voltooid leven: over leven en willen sterven’ at the Dutch Nursing Congress 2017, Reehorst Ede
  41. 2017 (February): Key lecture and discussion about ‘De dokter en de zelfgekozen dood.’Presentation at a regional meeting, The Royal Dutch Medical Association (KNMG), at Isala Klinieken Zwolle
  42. 2017 (February): Keynote ‘Voltooid leven: De ervaringswereld van ouderen die hun leven als voltooid beschouwen.’ at Symposium for Elderly Care Physicians and Social Geriatricians (LAEGO), Soest
  43. 2017 (January) Keynote ‘Voltooid leven: over leven en willen sterven’, at Regional Palliative Network Meeting in Vlaardingen
  44. Dependent body: thoughts on embodiment in old age.Lecture at Symposium ‘Close on the skin’ for health care professionals, (‘Onder de Vijgeboom’, De Bergkerk, Amersfoort ),25 November 2016.
  45. Mag het alsjeblieft stoppen?Onderzoek naar de geleefde ervaring van ouderen die hun leven voltooid vinden en op een zelfgekozen moment willen sterven, Presentation at Verenso Gerontological Congres ‘Start & Stop’!, 26 November 2015.

 Other lectures for the general public:

  1. 2022: Keynote ‘Wijsheid in een hedendaags memento mori’, Op het symposium “Wijsheid in de ouderdom?”, Onder de Vijgenboom, Amersfoort (7 november 2022)
  2. 2020 (March): Key lecture, Q&A and debate about ‘the wish to die in older people’ at study day, Stadsklooster, Nijmegen.
  3. 2020 (September): Key lecture and debate about ‘end-of-life choices’, National study day KBO-PCOB, Utrecht.
  4. 2018 (November): lecture and workshop about ‘the lived experience of older people who are tired of life’ National Meeting Day KBO-PCOB, Utrecht.
  5. 2018 (October) Key lecture and Q&A about ‘Voltooid leven: over leven en willen sterven’, at national conference of OKRA (Vlaamse seniorenorganisatie), Brussel
  6. 2018 (May), Public lecture and discussion about ‘Voltooid leven: over leven en willen sterven’, in Wijchen, Centrum voor Levensvragen
  7. 2018 (mei): Public lecture and discussion about ‘Voltooid leven: over leven en willen sterven’,at VrijzinnigeProtestanten, Gouda
  8. 2018 (January): Public lecture and discussion about ‘Voltooid leven: over leven en willen sterven’, at de Woudkapel, Bilthoven
  9. 2017 (November): ‘Kapellezing’ (public lecture) and discussion about ‘Voltooid leven: over leven en willen sterven’, Hilversum
  10. 2017 (Novemer): Key lecture yearly symposium about ‘existential issues in old age’, organized by ‘Onder de Vijgeboom’, De Bergkerk, Amersfoort.
  11. 2017 (October) Public lecture and discussion about ‘Voltooid leven: over leven en willen sterven’, at Rooms Katholiek Convent, Den Haag
  12. 2017 (September): Key note ‘Betekenisvol Leven’, KNR (De Konferentie Nederlandse Relgieuzen), Den Bosch
  13. 2017 (July) Lekenpreek about ‘Voltooid leven: over leven en willen sterven’, at Vrijzinnigen Aan de Regge
  14. 2017 (May): Public lecture and discussion about ‘Voltooid leven: over leven en willen sterven’, at Humanistisch Verbond Groningen
  15. 2017 (April): Sofielezing, Oud en der dagen zat: vragen rondom voltooid leven, Koepelkerk Arnhem
  16. 2017 (March): Public lecture and discussion about ‘Voltooid leven: wat willen ouderen zelf? Maranathakerk, Den Haag
  17. 2017 (Maart): Public lecture and discussion about ‘Voltooid leven: over leven en willen sterven’, atProtestantse Gemeente Houten
  18. 2017 (February): Lecture and debate about Completed Life at Het Platform Doodgewoon in Den Haag
  19. 2017 (February): Public lecture and discussion about ‘Voltooid leven: over leven en willen sterven’, atBoekhandel Laren
  20. 2017 (February): Public lecture and discussion about ‘Voltooid leven: oud en moe van dagen’, at Metgezel in Zingeving, Oisterwijk
  21. 2017 (February): Public lecture and discussion about ‘Voltooid leven’, at Grote Kerk Doesburg
  22. 2017 (February) Public lecture and discussion about ‘Voltooid leven en compassie’, at Boekhandel Veenendaal Amersfoort & ‘De Amersfoortse Zwaan’
    (Lectures performed in 2016/2015 not included)
  23.