Why study this programme?

Environmental justice is essentially about how the environment for some is resource of prosperity, health and well-being, while for others it is a threat and a risk. Scholars of environmental justice emphasise the right to a healthy environment for all citizens, having equal access to nature's resources and a voice in decisions about environmental issues. Environmental justice can be broken down to three aspects: distributional justice, procedural justice and recognition justice. In a broader view, it is related to historical societal relationships and to global inequalities.

This specialisation focuses on the challenges of justice in environmental governance. Sustainability transformations can nowadays hardly be disconnected from issues of equity and justice. For example, issues of justice are important while striving for low carbon societies, preserving biodiversity, circularity in our economies or a creating a sustainable agriculture. How can we find a balance between effectivity and fairness in the energy transition? Environmental justice can be envisaged and studied at different scales: both relating to global issues (Global South-North, postcolonialism), in European policies (just transition fund, just transition mechanisms) and in local issues (energy poverty in vulnerable neighborhoods). We take a critical approach to these justice issues by incorporating both people and nonhuman natures, and we try to understand mechanisms of exclusion and marginality in environmental governance.

Master's specialisation in Environmental Justice and Governance

  • The goal of this specialisation is to familiarise students with the most current scholarly insights, concepts, and debates in the field of environmental justice, with a specific focus on issues of governance. 
  • You will analyse root causes of environmental injustices based on historical relationships of power, such as colonialism and imperialism, but also based on decisions made on contemporary challenges, such as the energy transition and climate change.
  • You will reflect upon how governance institutions can possibly harm both people and nonhuman natures through environmental racism, sexism, classism, speciesism, and other forms of discrimination.

Why choose Radboud University

  • Our classes are small and interactive, and our professors are easily approachable. There is an open environment where you can easily come in contact with other students.
  • Our compact campus in Nijmegen is the greenest and most beautiful in the Netherlands, where everything is within walking distance.
  • We encourage our students to take a multidisciplinary approach to their studies, and in many cases, you are free to customise your own programme, so you can learn about and research topics that you are passionate about.
  • You earn a valuable diploma in an outstanding university system. Furthermore, we stimulate and support the development of your critical skills to improve your chances in the job market within your field.
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