Sabbatical: Bert Broeckaert: Palliative sedation, dying and death and dealing with ethical questions at the beginning of life in a multicultural and multi-religious context

In this sabbatical period I want to do three things. First, I want to give a new impulse to the line of research that I have developed since 1998 with regard to palliative sedation and that I have neglected somewhat the last few years. In particular, I want to prepare and submit a new research project that maps the contemporary reality of palliative sedation in Flemish palliative units and places it in an international context. I also want to further investigate the religious and cultural aspects of palliative sedation. Secondly, I want to take an important new step in my research line on dealing with dying and death in a multicultural context. The emphasis here is on the further expansion of research into the younger generation (especially second and especially third generation Muslims). Thirdly, in cooperation with the people from the university clinic (doctors, pastoral services, ...), I want to set up a new line of research on dealing with ethical questions at the beginning of life (prenatal diagnostics, ...) in a multicultural context and prepare the necessary project proposals.