What does the programme look like?
Kick-off
You start this Honours Programme with a kick-off meeting. During the kick-off, you will meet your fellow honours students and learn more about the two think tanks.
Think Tanks
You will be part of one Think Tank in which you will collaborate with a group of honours students on a solution for an interdisciplinary assignment from an external party: the municipality of Nijmegen, a healthcare institution, housing corporation, etc.
This means that you will together tackle real issues that currently play in society. This way you can actually make a difference, for instance, for the municipality in fighting issues from the cyberworld like bullying or sextortion in school children; or in making people really feel at home and less lonely, despite the housing crisis.
At the end of the process, there will be a substantiated final product for the client. This can be an advisory report with concrete recommendations, but also an infographic, podcast, video, exhibition, campaign or an activity organized by you.
Think Tank 1: CyberSafe Youth
Do you want to help the municipality Nijmegen to make a real difference in how young people grow up safely in an increasingly digital world? In this think tank you will work on questions, such as how to prevent online intimidation, sextortion, deepfakes, and the normalization of harmful behaviors in children and teenagers. You will help turn scientific insights into practical advice and develop practical solutions for schools, families, or the local government. If you’re motivated to connect knowledge with real-world impact, this is your chance to contribute to a safer and more resilient digital society.
Think Tank 2: Home of tomorrow
What does it truly mean to feel at home? Especially students face housing problems and report increasing feelings of loneliness. This think tank invites you to explore the future of home and how the housing crisis and increasing loneliness demand rethinking our “home of tomorrow”. Is shared housing the solution? Together with expert input, you will dive into what we know about social bonding, community building and which interventions show promising effects. Translating your newly gained knowledge into real-world insights will directly help housing corporations, like SSHN, to actively support stronger communities and wellbeing.
Crossroads Meeting Series
During the programme, you will have regular meetings where you touch base with the students from the other Think Tank. In this series of Crossroads Meetings, you will exchange experiences while building practical skills for your future career, such as crafting a compelling CV. You'll gain insights from inspiring guest speakers, including alumni and experts from across campus and beyond. You’ll develop science communication skills by practicing to communicate your project updates and ideas to fellow honours students. Make the most of the Crossroads Meeting Series to prepare for your next career steps, while tapping into the power of interdisciplinary exchange to strengthen both your network and your skill set.
Honours certificate
If you successfully complete the Honours Programme Social Sciences, you will receive a special Honours certificate. A nice proof of the academic and personal development that you have gone through.
