The recent IPPC reports tell us – again – that climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time and will affect modern human life globally. Locally extreme climate events such as droughts and storms already pose serious challenges to society – also here in the Netherlands. In this class we will discuss the pros and cons of several adaptation strategies to reduce extreme weather risks, such as geoengineering and nature-based solutions.

In this lecture, we dive into the fascinating world of the international law of the sea. We will explore the definitions, distinctions, and legal regimes that govern the various maritime features under international law. Ever wondered what truly defines an island, a rock, a low tide elevation, or an artificial island? How about the difference between a ship and an installation? We will uncover all of that and more. Join us for an exciting discussion where you deepen your understanding of the law of the sea and its real-world implications!

The U.S.-China rivalry has entered a decisive phase, where competition extends far beyond trade disputes and military posturing—it now shapes the very foundations of global governance, technology, and security. As the post-Cold War order unravels, both powers navigate an increasingly fragmented geopolitical landscape, marked by regional realignments, economic decoupling, and contested spheres of influence. This lecture explores the structural forces driving their strategic competition, the evolving nature of power in a multipolar world, and the potential trajectories for cooperation or confrontation. Are we witnessing the emergence of a new Cold War, or is a more complex, asymmetric rivalry taking shape?

The healthcare sector contributes about 8% to the emission of greenhouse gases. In addition, most of medical devices are nowadays not designed for low-resource settings (e.g., low-income countries). We thus need to change the way we produce and manage our medical devices to make them more sustainable. This class introduces you to the concept of life cycle-based management of medical devices, showing you how we can design a healthcare sector that is more inclusive and sustainable. 

Are we right to worry about terrorism? How about the rise of countries with big military spending? Find out in this sample lecture more about the tantalizing question "What will kill us?" and learn how (not) to think about international security.  

What makes a war ‘disproportionate’? It’s a common charge in public debate about war that one side or the other is not using proportionate force. It’s a criticism heard especially around asymmetric conflicts such as Israel’s war in Gaza, in which there is a significant disparity in the military strength of the warring parties. But it raises questions that are rarely answered by those who use it: if war should be proportionate, to what should it be proportionate? And at what point does the use of force become disproportionate? This sample class will explore how this key concept has been understood in the ethics of war. We’ll ask what it might mean to say that a war is proportionate, and whether the concept deserves a place in our public debate about war.

Sustainable livelihoods are key to the achievement of sustainable development goals. They are important for fighting poverty, ensuring food security, protecting the environment, and securing peace in the long term. Small scale farming and fishing are examples of livelihoods that highly depend on the environment, and are being negatively affected by environmental degradation and conflict all around the world. When people have livelihoods that are sustainable, they are better able to secure their well-being, provide and care for their families, and build their communities. But many people are being pushed out of their livelihoods due to social, ecological, and political changes in places where they live and elsewhere. In this sample class, we will learn about what livelihoods are, how we can study them, and zoom in on the case of southwestern Ethiopia where biodiversity conservation and securing food for people are intertwined challenges. 

Over the past two decades, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has helped cement a system of international criminal justice for responding to mass atrocity situations. This class situates the ICC in its historical context and invites participants to consider some of the dilemmas of justice that arise within the ICC's work. The class will explore the ICC's investigation in the situation in Northern Uganda as a case study for revealing different dimensions of the politics of the ICC in practice.

For the past two decades, international institutions like the U.N., the World Bank, the European Union or the IMF have invested huge amounts of resources in promoting anticorruption and good governance. Their work has led to the creation of anticorruption agencies in many countries in the world and to a vast array of associated institutional mechanisms such as conflict of interest legislation or ombudsman offices. What is the result of all these efforts when it comes to reducing corruption? And how do we define corruption when we design these policy interventions? Should we be doing anticorruption in the current form, or do we need new approaches? This class will give a brief introduction to answering these questions.