Hanze and French STARS EU partner join forces around EPIT

Hanze University of Applied Sciences is further strengthening its collaboration with STARS EU partner Université Marie et Louis Pasteur with a new focus. This new emphasis centres on the joint development and application of the Extended Professional Identity Theory (EPIT) within education and research. Fabien Garnier of Université Marie et Louis Pasteur will translate and implement EPIT within the partner university.

The theory of interprofessional identity was developed within the collaboration between Hanze and the University Medical Centre Groningen (UMCG). It offers a well-founded approach to sustainably strengthening collaboration between professionals.

EPIT was developed during the PhD trajectory of Dr Jan Jaap Reinders and focuses on fostering a sense of interprofessional group membership. Neuropsychological as well as work and organisational psychology research shows that people collaborate more effectively and experience greater job satisfaction when they perceive colleagues from other professional backgrounds as part of the same group. EPIT translates these insights into concrete applications for education and professional practice.

Within Hanze, EPIT is being further developed, among other things through the PhD research of Lourens van de Weerd into teacher support for identity development (identity didactics), in collaboration with Revalidatie Friesland. The effectiveness of this approach is reflected in a growing number of international scientific publications.

European collaboration
In January, educational researcher Fabien Garnier (Université Marie et Louis Pasteur) visited Groningen to work with Hanze colleagues on shaping plans for joint education and research. Dr Sandra Jorna-Lakke, coordinator of the Healthy Ageing theme within STARS EU, emphasises the importance of this development and actively encourages collaboration with partner universities in this field.

Through this collaboration, Hanze positions EPIT as a distinctive educational and research innovation within the European STARS EU Alliance, contributing to the education of future-proof professionals who are able to collaborate effectively in international and interprofessional contexts.