After succesful completion of this course, the student is able to:
1) Mobilize and apply academic concepts and historical knowledge of major themes in transatlantic relations to understand a number of contemporary challenge;
2) use a variety of different sources (from opinion polls, statistical data, policy papers, government reports, and political statements, to public media and popular culture ) to address questions that are formulated in society today;
3) write well-documented overviews, backfround files or white papers, and present your findings to stakeholders in a number of real-life settings (expert exchanges, colloquia, policy meetings).

Many challenges our society faces today transcend national borders and have a transatlantic dimension that, in its turn, can be placed within a wider global context. Transatlantic relations are influenced by tectonic power shifts, as much as by the global debates about principles of democracy, human rights, and multilateralism. Moreover, protest and activist movements also influence and inspire each other across the Atlantic on issues like global warming, inclusion, and women’s rights. In this course you will apply your firm theoretical and academic knowledge to understand a number of these urgent transnational issues. We will work with our institutional partners in the field such as the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NGOs, think tanks, and heritage organisations to frame questions that you can address by mobilizing your academic expertise. You will learn to use a variety of different sources, write well-documented background overviews or white papers, and present your findings to stakeholders. We will not only discuss recent geopolitical challenges (e.g. Russia and the integration of Eastern Europe, conflicts in the Middle East, the rise of China), but will especially focus on a number of urgent transatlantic themes with a complex cultural or political dimension such as migration and mobility; democracy, human rights and diversity; collective security and terrorism; climate change, sustainability and energy transition; disease prevention and pandemics.