By the end of the course, students will be able to

·       explain the ways in which research in the field of the humanities can contribute to current public debates

·       translate the outcomes of academic research into accessible knowledge that can inform current societal issues

·       relate their own research or field of expertise to that of other disciplines by collaborating with students in interdisciplinary projects

·       communicate the essence and impact of current public debates, both orally and in writing

This course deals with contemporary public debates and the ways in which research in the humanities can engage with these debates. Because it aims to stay current, its subject matter shifts from year to year. In the past few years, this course has focused on the financial crisis, digitalization, cultural heritage, religious conflict, and the controversies on immigration and cultural integration. This year’s theme is the interrelationship between “the global” and “the local”.

The advantages and disadvantages of globalization and the ways in which the global influences the local have been at the forefront of present-day political, economic, cultural and ecological debates: worldwide protest movements (Anti-Globalization) demand attention for growing economic inequality and those who miss out on the advantages of globalization; political parties advocate the protection of the domestic economy over the global market (‘America first’) and of local culture over cosmopolitanism and cultural influences from outside; and global warming has inspired local food movements and farmers’ markets, bringing together producers and consumers from the same region to develop more resilient and sustainable food networks. The debates surrounding these developments have had their impact on research in the humanities, and the global and local have become important research topics within historical, literary and cultural studies.