Global Studies trains you to understand and develop solutions for complex global issues. The programme is structured around five themes, each of which contains knowledge, theories, methods and academic & professional skills from multiple disciplines:

• Environment & Economy
• Migration & Citizenship
• Tolerance & Beliefs
• Peace & Justice
• 21st Century Learning

The themes are preceded by an introductory semester that introduces you to the field of Global Studies. In your final year, you will put your expertise to the test with a local or international field study, write an interdisciplinary Bachelor’s thesis, and have a chance to develop an intervention for a societal problem presented to you by an NGO, government agency, firm or a school. You will even have the opportunity to teach some of your experiences to first and second year students.

Crossing borders:

In this programme you will learn to cross borders in several ways. You will: cross disciplinary boundaries by bridging disciplines, cross Euro-centric perspectives by reading authors from other locations, conduct a local or international field study and conduct an interdisciplinary final thesis.

Bridging the Disciplines:

Complex, global problems require solutions that are rooted in multiple disciplines. Global Studies trains you to integrate knowledge and skills that pertain to the natural and technical sciences (environmental science, data science), social sciences (development geography, political economy, governance, law, sociology, economics, international relations and technology studies), life sciences (public health, psychology), and humanities (anthropology, history and philosophy). All semesters and themes are co-developed and co-taught by scholars from at least three disciplines. Studying with these experts, you will:

• Build an understanding of how individual disciplines look at particular questions
• Debate how the theories and assumptions of different disciplines can be connected to arrive at a richer view
• Learn and practice research methods that are used by different disciplines to allow you to collect your own data, perform strong analyses and arrive at relevant conclusions
• Formulate evidence-based advice and recommendations for complex problems
• Develop your skill-set as a future professional, academic and citizen of the world

Perspectives from around the Globe:

To ensure that the programme offers a truly global focus in which perspectives from the Global Majority get as much attention as other perspectives, each course will include theories and concepts developed by non-Western scholars that will be compared with those developed in the West.

During the theme on Peace and Justice, you will have the opportunity to go on a month-long field study, exploring and learning about a local relevant problem at your chosen destination (for example in Colombia, Mozambique, Cyprus, Uruguay, Thailand and The Hague). Together with a small group of your fellow students, accompanied by an expert and hosted by a local partner, you will have the opportunity to study a complex issue, discover local solutions and practice your own skills as a global citizen.

Skills:

You will be able to develop skills and competencies in the following domains:

• Methodological: the ability to acquire and apply new knowledge
• Social: the ability to deal with other people in a respectful and empathetic way
• Communicative: the ability to create new and maintain existing relationships, to express yourself clearly and precisely
• Personal: the ability to reflect on yourself and develop yourself
• Scientific: you will have relevant knowledge of academic theories and models
• Professional: you will be proficient in business and persuasive writing,presentation skills, collaborative working, creative problem-solving