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The people behind the science, and the science behind the people.
On the family farm in the Philippines, where summer days were spent helping his grandfather, Lester could not help but wonder – how can I make a better future. In Filipino culture, supporting your family is not just important – it’s a way of life and a goal in itself, Lester tells. His image of the farm remains vivid to this day; it was the place where his grandfather was carrying buckets of water up and down the farm for wat felt like all day, every day. And from a young age, it made Lester question: How can I help? It set him on a path crossing the planet and to become an agricultural and biosystems engineer, specializing in irrigation, before eventually coming to Wetsus in Leeuwarden to find new ways to ensure water quality in a cheap and reliable way. From there, he met up with the Dutch king, and found himself in the heat of an academic battle.
His goal was never to change the world, but to take a small step in the right direction – to help his grandfather and improve the lives of other families too. And, as he soon realized, taking good care of water meant more than just ensuring its quantity; quality mattered just as much if not even more.
During his studies, Lester became fascinated by the idea of tracing pollution sources to help clean and keep water pure. He developed a vision: to make water quality as predictable as the weather. Impurities, after all, will always come and go, but being prepared and able to act on them is what matters. From a common issue in the Philippines: saltwater intrusion, to oil spills, Lester saw a broad range of challenges to tackle. His perspective eventually led him to Wetsus and his mindset a winning one at that.
He knew that to make a real change, he needed to learn how to code. So, in his spare time, Lester taught himself everything from building websites to data analysis. And his dedication paid off.
The detective work of tracing pollutants and the virtual world of programming both fascinated him. So, when he found a PhD project on sensor-data fusion for detecting hydrocarbon intrusions, he was sold. His mission? To gather information from simple sensors and use it cleverly to track how oil spills move through the ground and groundwater – efficiently and affordably.
And that he could do it, was clear from the early beginning. In 2023, a few years into his research, Lester’s work earned him a trip to New York, where he had the opportunity to pitch his ideas to the King of the Netherlands. And later, as the real honor to him: a never seen before computer simulation model he had developed for studying oil spills was adopted by researchers worldwide. From a self-taught coder to recognition on the other side of the globe, it was an incredible compliment.
His professors, however, were less thrilled. Another research group had used Lester’s model to publish work he had planned to do years later. While his professors fumed, Lester couldn’t help but feel honored, he tells still smilingly. His work was making an impact.
For Lester, the PhD was more than just academic growth – it was a journey of self-discovery. Through struggle and long winters, and achievement and honor, he learned life lessons. Now, he feels a pull to return to his roots, to the mission that started it all. It’s an emotional thought, as the original inspiration for his journey: his grandfather, cannot longer witness the fruit of his labour.
It is a tough choice for him. But whatever he decides to work on, or wherever he goes next, will surely be the right one. Lester’s passion for water, his dedication to making a difference – even if it were a small one, is a drive that, on his turn, will undoubtedly inspire a next generation.
Abstract
The realisation of a circular economy has thus far unfolded under the assumption that it would fit within existing economic arrangements. In practice, we witness many circular initiatives struggling to give shape to their ambitions, let alone develop to maturity. These past months, various material recycling organisations terminated their activities, seeing virgin alternatives from other parts of the world flooding the market at prices against they cannot compete. If the transition towards a circular economy (i.e. an economy of value preservation) is to be taken seriously, a new perspective on value in our economic system seems unavoidable, as the rewriting of the rules of the economic game. At this moment, current perceptions of value stand in the way of this transition both at micro as well as macro levels. Several contours for a collective exploration of new directions of value and economic configuration that foster circular transition will be addressed.
Abstract
In his key note he will conclude after a life of innovations that it is impossible that humanity will stay within the save planetary boundaries with innovation only. We should be more critical about the behaviour of the rich population in the world and more critical about new innovations that prove to be dangerous, like the PFAS crisis shows at this moment. In his keynote he will investigate how to look at the world that can stay within the save planetary boundaries, how should we change ourselves? It is clear if we only talk about the words of science and systems we miss the essential words of how we should cooperate and change ourselves. And his search for coherent save innovations. Which innovations will be save and will lead to a fair and sustainable world? And will lead to a world we want to live in.
Abstract
There is a growing number of new sustainable, inclusive, cohesive, participatory, just and humane economic models. A possible next step in the discourse about them is the comparative analysis in order to find out key commonalities, potential synergies, and “requirements” for a future-fit economic model. The author and initiator of the Economy for the Common Good provides an overview of these „new sustainable economic models“ and compares them according to underlying values, principles, and practical ways of implementation. The keynote addresses the cooperative spirit of the conference and prepares the ground for its public highlight on the eve of June 3rd, the round table with representatives of diverse future-fit economic models.
Abstract
The scientific debate on whether economies should always continue to grow increasingly becomes a political and societal debate. On the one hand further growth for the most affluent countries seems neither possible nor valuable, but on the other hand there is still lack of understanding and knowledge what a non-growing economy should look like and could best be governed. In this lecture we discuss various policy measures that can be realistically implemented, take into account government finances and aim at a higher quality of life despite a non-growing economy.
Abstract
Democracy is under pressure, and less and less able to stir the economy into a sustainable direction. Therefore, to stabilize democracy and to make possible the socio-ecological transformation of the economy, democratic principles need to be implemented directly in the economy. This is not only a matter of morality, but also has practical advantages. Democratizing the economy can increase legitimacy and take advantage of the “knowledge of the many” to accelerate the transformation. Democratic practices, especially deliberation, allow bringing together different forms of knowledge, which is crucial for the local implementation of principles of social and ecological sustainability. This talk explores what this idea means in more concrete terms, from democratic participation in the workplace to the democratization of time.
Abstract
Over the past decades, markets have conventionally been seen as the best instrument to stimulate economic growth and enhance prosperity and well-being. The automatic link between markets and economic growth is increasingly questioned, however, as well as the automatic link between economic growth and enhancement of well-being. This has led to attempts to capture well-being development more directly than through GDP per capita figures and has produced a more variegated picture of well-being growth. Also, this has led to a shift of focus to other coordination systems than the market, as primarily the state but increasingly also the association. Analyses of the historical record suggest that especially the latter could be a vital component in future well-being.
