Skip to content

Anja Machielse

Professor

Email
a.machielse@uvh.nl
Title
prof. dr.
External positions
Chair Scientific Advisory Committee "Een tegen eenzaamheid"
,
The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport
from 1 May 2025
Supervisory board member
,
Nationaal Ouderenfonds
from 1 December 2024
Member of Programme Committee Day Activities for People with Dementia & Reablement
,
ZonMw
from 1 January 2023
Chair supervisory board
,
Avoord
from 1 December 2022
Board member Socrates foundation
,
Humanistisch Verbond
from 1 January 2022
Member of nomination committee Humanistic Spiritual Counsellors
,
Humanistisch Verbond
from 1 January 2020
Member of Social Trials Monitoring Committee
,
ZonMw
from 1 January 2020 until 1 January 2025
Supervisory board member
,
Avoord
from 1 January 2018 until 1 January 2022
Unknown role ,
The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport
from 1 January 2018 until 1 January 2025
Loneliness policy advisor
,
Gemeente Rotterdam
from 1 January 2015

Profile

Anja Machielse is professor emeritus of Humanism and Social Resilience and endowed professor Social Resilience of Older Adults. She studied philosophy at the University of Amsterdam and the Erasmus University Rotterdam and received her Ph.D. at Utrecht University.

Her work focuses on the social embeddedness of human beings and the significance of social relationships, both for personal life and the wider community. The tension between individual autonomy and the demands of the social environment is central to this. Important themes in her work are social isolation and loneliness, social resilience, existential problems, and meaning in life. Her research into older adults emphasizes (social) resilience, meaning in life, and promoting social recognition.