Prof. dr. ir. Anke van Hal

“When solutions to societal challenges are sought with respect for the perspectives and interests of stakeholders (individuals and organizations), the likelihood of a sound business case and innovations that are embraced with enthusiasm increases significantly.”

Prof. Dr. Ir. Anke van Hal is Professor at Nyenrode Business University. In her work, she focuses on what she refers to as “navigating transitions.” Her activities aim to motivate and inspire individuals and organizations that tend to hold on to the familiar to embrace change in the interest of society. This includes, among other things, navigating the energy transition and transitions within agriculture, combating poverty and inequality, promoting mental and physical well-being, enhancing biodiversity and circularity, and contributing to a sustainable and safe built environment.

Respect for the perspectives and interests of a wide range of stakeholders is central to her work. In both research and education, she strives to align (or fuse) individual interests, organizational interests, and societal interests. She does so, among other ways, through the “Fusion of Interests Strategy,” which she developed based on her original role as a specialist in sustainable construction.

She is a member of the Nyenrode Faculty Expertise Center Entrepreneurship, Governance & Stewardship and serves as core faculty in various executive education programs for professionals from diverse backgrounds. In her modules, she supports participants in achieving so-called “small wins” (small yet profound changes with tangible results) that serve not only a societal interest, but also the individual interests of the participants and the interests of their organizations.

Alongside her professorship at Nyenrode, Van Hal also served for ten years as Professor of Sustainable Housing Transformation at the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment of Delft University of Technology. Her interest within the construction sector therefore focuses primarily on the challenge of achieving a (sustainable) transformation of existing homes and neighborhoods. In this context, she places particular emphasis on the “human success factor” in energy-efficient renovation processes, alongside the success factors of “sufficient budget” and “well-functioning technology.”

Van Hal has spent a considerable amount of time in Canada, where she taught, among other places, at Ryerson University in Toronto. Inspired by her experiences in Canada, she has in recent years focused her work in the construction sector specifically on vulnerable neighborhoods. Her aim is to use the transition to natural gas–free neighborhoods as a lever to improve overall quality of life in such areas. She does so through the program Sustainable Development of Vulnerable Neighborhoods.

She graduated in 1989 from the Department of Architecture at Delft University of Technology. In 2000, she earned her PhD with a dissertation entitled Beyond the Demonstration Project: The Diffusion of Environmental Innovations in Housing. She has authored several books and numerous articles and blogs, and for many years served as editor-in-chief of journals on sustainable construction and housing.

Interests

Van Hal is an active member of Herenboeren Loenen, a cooperative sustainable farm that is part of the Herenboeren Netherlands Association, which aims to promote local, circular, and nature-inclusive food production. Driven by her love of reading and literature, she is also an active member of a local organization that organizes author lectures.

Additional Positions

• Aedes – member of the scientific advisory panel
• DGBC – member of the advisory board
• NL Greenlabel – member of the scientific advisory board