The first Flemish-Dutch Day of Reflection
The first Flemish-Dutch Day of Reflection took place in Leuven on 8 September 2022. This event was organized by the Chancellery and Foreign Affairs Department in cooperation with the Netherlands Scientific Council for Government Policy (WRR) and the Scientific Research Fund. During the Day of Reflection, Dutch and Flemish researchers and policy makers discussed five central themes: Artificial Intelligence, Job Market and Integration, Healthcare, Climate Policy and Nutrition, and ‘Strategic Interests and International Security’.
The objective of the Day of Reflection was twofold: building knowledge through insights and analyses on the one hand, and formulating strategic policy advice post-coronavirus crisis on the other hand. The consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic leave no one and no policy domains untouched. Yet at the same time, there are major differences in how these consequences play out. The beginning of these effects is already measurable in economic sectors and the job market. But the implications for the longer term are much harder to predict. What long-term impact will the crisis have on inequality and inclusion in society, on public health, and the Netherlands’ ability to compete internationally? Which new policy and other challenges will emerge?