Each year, AMS Institute organizes a research retreat where the Research Fellow community takes a break from their usual work to reflect, network, and recharge. This May, as is tradition, Research Fellows gathered at Hoeve Boer en Bleek, a working farmhouse located on the Veluwe, for three days of workshops, community building, and collaboration.
The Research Fellow community is a vibrant and diverse group of researchers working on projects within or together with AMS Institute. Fellows are typically affiliated through the institute's founding partners: MIT, TU Delft and Wageningen University & Research. Together, they bring a wide range of disciplines to the table, conducting urban research for the benefit of Amsterdam and cities worldwide. Research Fellows also play an active role in strengthening AMS Institute's scientific integrity, contributing to research and education initiatives, and the MSc MADE program.
The annual retreat is a moment to step away from the day-to-day and invest in the community itself, a chance to reflect, exchange ideas across disciplines, and deepen the connections that make collaborative research possible.
The program
The retreat program began on Tuesday with a Methods Clinic, organized by Emma van Veenen. This session consisted of a role-play workshop in which three experts on different research methods posed as patients, citing strengths, shortcomings, and challenges of their respective methodologies. It was a chance to learn from each other across disciplinary boundaries and spark reflection on how different approaches can complement one another.
In the afternoon, DownsideUp guided the group in a workshop on how we relate to making mistakes. The workshop focused on moving from feelings of shame towards guilt, in which the latter is viewed as a negative feeling about one's actions rather than about oneself, and can be channeled into learning and action. Allowing people to make mistakes is key to the research process, as it allows true experimentation, innovation, and collaboration.
The second day of the program, Wednesday, opened with a hands-on session centered on the IDEALS Monitor, a joint initiative between the AMS Institute and the City of Amsterdam, aimed at developing a more integrated and broader approach to monitoring and measuring impact in the city. Working in small groups, fellows created new indicators connected to the city's seven main ideals. They adopted an interdisciplinary, innovative approach, allowing a single statement to reflect multiple indicators of the city's state. The results were presented to a municipal representative.
After the session, the group left the farmhouse for Hoge Veluwe National Park, cycling through one of the Netherlands' most beautiful natural areas. Here, conversations continued, and bonds deepened.
The retreat left the RF community with many fond memories. The IDEALS workshop, in particular, raised new questions about how research produced at the AMS Institute can be guided by tangible impact. The DownsideUp session opened up the community to how the Research Fellows can continue to build a culture where honesty, reflection, and learning from failure are valued outcomes.
As the group traveled back through the Veluwe and headed home, a renewed sense of energy was felt: a shared understanding of one another and new insights into how to continue their valuable work.