Zeno Nols

Zeno Nols is an unpaid faculty-level researcher in Movement and Sport Sciences at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Belgium. Active since at least 2010, he combines research, project leadership, teaching supervision and public engagement around sport as a vehicle for social change.

Education:

• PhD in Social Sciences – Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 2018. Dissertation: Social Change through Sport for Development Initiatives: Investigating Underlying Pedagogies.

Research Focus:
Nols’ work is anchored in critical pedagogy and community sport, exploring how organised sport can foster inclusion, personal development and social cohesion among youth in poverty and ethnically diverse urban settings. His projects translate critical-theoretical insights into practical coaching and policy recommendations.

Publication Trends:
Across 45 outputs, recent articles converge on urban sport-for-development, coaching pedagogy and youth empowerment. Qualitative methodologies dominate, amplifying young participants’ voices to inform both academic discourse and grassroots practice.

Projects & Funding:

• Principal investigator/coordinator of the 2016–2019 project “CATCH: Community Sport for At-risk Youth” (IWTSBO6 grant), focusing on innovative strategies for inclusion and health promotion.

Supervision & Teaching:
He has supervised at least three master’s theses and one doctoral dissertation, mentoring students on topics ranging from autism-inclusive sport programmes to the role of coaches in socially vulnerable communities.

Public Engagement:
Nols regularly delivers keynote talks, seminars and media interviews in Dutch and English, translating research findings for sport federations, youth services and local governments.