Dear students, We live in trying times. There is much uncertainty about the virus that is spreading over the world, and at the same time much uncertainty about how and whether to proceed with our daily routines, insofar as possible. As you already know, Leiden University has decided to switch to remote education for the rest of the semester. The International Studies programme follows the guidelines of the university in this regard, which means that your education will be completely online. Our teaching staff has been busy preparing for the switch. Different courses and different ways of teaching (e.g. lectures vs. tutorials) ask for different ways of moving the course online. Your lecturers and tutors will let you know how to continue your studies for their particular courses.
When I became Chair of the International Studies programme in February 2016, I already knew it as a lecturer, who had taught History Europe from its inception, and as Director of Education of the Institute for History with responsibility for staffing many courses in the programme. In some ways International Studies was thus well-known to me, including the challenges it was facing, which were highlighted in the rather critical report of the mid-term review committee that had then just been published. Developing an answer to this was actually one of the main reasons why I was asked to take on the responsibility for the programme, so I knew there was something to be done.
In the 21st century skills articles we highlight tutors’ international and intercultural experiences. Leiden University strives to enable students to develop so called "21st century skills" which are defined as "the ability to work in teams, international and intercultural skills, entrepreneurship, leadership qualities and digital competences" Most of the tutors have acquired these skills during their studies, fieldwork for their masters or PhD and are happy to share their impressions and experiences. For this volume we talked to Natalia Donner, tutor at International Studies.
The results of the National Student Survey (NSE), in which 664 of our students participated (thank you!) showed a significant improvement compared to International Studies' last year’s results. This has convinced the Programme Board that we are on the right track with our restructured programme. Below we would like to highlight some of the results.
8 April is career day at Leiden University in Leiden and The Hague. There are two events organised on this day. The Humanities Career Event in Leiden & the Campus The Hague Career Event in The Hague.
Since February 1 of this year, the BA International Studies has a new Programme Chair. We took this opportunity to ask Giles Scott-Smith, a few questions about his new position, his ideas for our programme in The Hague and, in light of his background (see below this article), of course we asked his prediction for the upcoming US presidential elections!
Feeling homesick? Deadline stress? Overwhelmed by student life? You are not alone, the majority of the students around you are experiencing the same struggles. Being open about this can help break down any stigma surrounding it. This is the first step towards coming to terms with your feelings. Don't suffer in silence, come OpenUP!
The humanities consist of various academic fields. But what is the common ground between all these different academics and students? And why does their work matter so much in today’s world? Watch the trailer of Humans of Humanties, the new documentary film about the Leiden Faculty of Humanities. Will you join the premiere on March 9th in Trianon Cinema?
On February 27, from 15:00 - 20:00, the First OpenUP! Symposium will be organised at Wijnhaven especially for Campus The Hague Students, all about student life and mental health. Read more about it and register below.
Are you an International Studies Graduate and did you graduate between 2016 and 2019? We would love to hear from you!
