Think tank Faculty of Arts

The think tank is a course in which you work in an interdisciplinary team of 8-10 students under the guidance of a lecturer on a current issue of a company, institution or organisation. Together, you work towards a final product that adds value for the partner.

Goal and set-up

The approach of the think tank is similar to how project-based research is conducted in society. You will use the knowledge and skills you have gained during your studies and will expand these further by learning from each other while working on the project. This way you develop competencies for your professional future, because in a project like a think tank, things will go wrong: on a personal, relational, process-related, or content-related level. It is important to face these challenges with your team and learn from them. That is what the think tank - besides delivering a high-quality final product that is of added value to the partner - is also about.

Overview Think Tank courses

Think Tank courseCourse codeTakes place in
Denktank Beleid, Organisatie en CommunicatieLET-LETMI-DT01Semester 2
Denktank Cultureel Erfgoed en PubliekLET-LETMI-DT03Semester 2
Think tank European Culture and National IdentitiesLET-LETMI-DT07Semester 2
Think tank Diversity, Inclusion and GenderLET-LETMI-DT08Semester 2
Think tank Multilingualism in EuropeLET-LETMI-DT11Semester 2
Think tank Study AbroadLET-LETMI-DT12Semester 2
Denktank (vrije minor) /
Think tank (Elective minor)		LET-LETMI-DT13Semester 2
Denktank / Think tank LET-LETMI-DT00Semester 1

Individual options

You can also opt for an individual think tank:

  1. Internship at a company or organisation: for students who want to learn (more) about the field of work
  2. Individual research internship: for students with research interests and possible ambitions towards the Research Master's degree

Commitment and assessment

A think tank requires the commitment of all concerned. You, for example, make a commitment to the external partner to deliver a suitable and high-quality final product, but you also make a commitment to your fellow team members. This means that you are not only willing to invest 280 hours, but also that you commit to working together constructively, having a professional attitude towards the partner and each other and contributing to creating a safe (learning) environment.

At the same time, we know from previous years that this can be quite challenging and the process will also not always go smoothly. This is partly why the think tank is evaluated using a pass/fail grade. The process, in which not everything will always go as planned or hoped, is at least as important for achieving the learning objectives as the final product, because it is precisely in those situations that competences such as flexibility are called upon.