Study programme
See this recording of our November 2023 live session, in which the Global Arts, Culture and Politics Bachelor's programme is illustrated in detail.
The programme in short
You will study art as a medium, the big history of art and the relationship between power and representation. You look at culture and ecology and study sustainability from multiple perspectives. You research the politics of culture and learn to understand how contemporary culture is highly politicised. Artificial intelligence deeply influences our daily lives. We analyse how this works and what consequences AI has ethically, politically, and sociologically. You acquire skills such as (academic) writing, creating (websites, videos, exhibitions), archival research, discourse analysis, public speaking, debating, programming, interview techniques and quantitative research. These valuable tools enable you to understand, analyse and to engage actively with various global challenges.
Theatrical performances about colonial history not only shape how we understand the past but also influence how we relate to social inequalities in the present.Dr Sruti Bala
The first year
- In the first year, you will lay a broad foundation in the fields of art and media, sustainability, cultural policy and artificial intelligence. You will also gain skills in doing interdisciplinary research, and academic writing.
The second and third year
- In the second year, you will start your specialisation by choosing one of the four majors on the different global challenges. Additionally, you will be taught 'Philosophy of Humanities and Science' and follow the course 'Key Stories' with lectures from hot-shot specialists from various faculties and political, cultural and media figures.
- In the third year, you will take two electives and a minor, either in a different discipline within the Humanities or at a different faculty. You will also have the opportunity to study abroad. The programme will be completed with a Bachelor’s project in cooperation with cultural, artistic or governmental organisations.
- You choose to specialise in one of our four majors:
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Art and Media
In this major, you study art as a medium, with an emphasis on the past. How was art used to justify social status (or political power)? How does portraiture convey power and identity, and what contribution did world maps have to the colonial aspirations of governments?
You will analyse themes and gain insights from fields such as:
- Art History
- Book History
- Cultural Industries
- Heritage Studies
- History
- Looted objects
- Museums Studies
- Music Studies
- Theatre Studies
- Technology
- Visual Culture and Propaganda
Copyright: Bob BronshoffSince #MeToo, women are listened to and believed at face value, which has changed how we think about the past and the present. In our major, students learn how to do archival research to find women’s voices and write them into history.
Dr Judith Noorman -
Reimagining Sustainability
In this interdisciplinary major you will study sustainability from multiple perspectives. Courses will explore the historical roots of the concept, the place of sustainability in contemporary ecopolitics, and the important role arts and culture can play in shaping more sustainable futures. You will analyse themes and gain insights from fields such as:
- Deep ecology
- Ecofeminism
- Nature and modernity
- Degrowth
- Sustainability in past societies
- The Anthropocene
- Indigenous approaches to sustainability
- Art and the environment
- Sustainable practices in cultural institutions
Museums and other cultural institutions have an important role to play in fighting climate change and shaping a more sustainable future for the planet.
Dr Colin Sterling -
Culture and Social Justice
Contemporary culture connects and divides. Film, music, art, dance and theatre travel across the globe faster than ever, bringing people closer. Simultaneously, proximity creates friction. In a globalising, post-colonial world (social) media discussions on topics such as gender, racism and #me that rub against different cultural norms existing in society can result in conflict. The arts are then often invoked to mediate and transform the problem of culture into a remedy.
The core themes of the major Culture and Social Justice are the global transformations of cultural practices, their underlying conceptions of culture and the socio-economic inequalities these create or tackle. You will analyse themes and gain insights from fields such as:
- (Post-)Colonial Studies
- Critical Heritage Studies
- Cultural Policy
- Gender & Sexuality Studies
- Global Studies
- Migration Studies
Copyright: FGw, Eduard LampeTo some people fashion can bring enjoyment; to others it can even mean empowerment. Yet, fashion is also the product of a global industry that is structurally riddled with injustice in terms of gender, race and class, as well as in the way it appropriates indigenous cultures and pollutes the planet. In order to grasp this complex global phenomenon, we cannot do without a social justice approach.
Dr Christine Delhaye -
The Human and Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence deeply influences our daily lives: in the way we listen to music on Spotify, consume (fake) news, or contact friends on WhatsApp. This major will address questions of big data and AI from the point of view of the humanities and arts. We will study how AI works, how it is it programmed, and what consequences it has ethically, politically and sociologically. You will learn about the growing importance of AI in contemporary culture and society and study the critical thinking and intellectual debates in this fast-developing field, while acquiring the tools and framework to analyse new cultural and social datasets with AI methods. You will analyse themes and gain insights from fields such as:
- Artificial Intelligence and Ethics
- AI and Politics
- Content
- Digital Humanities
- Fake news
- Media Studies (such as TV, film, photography and social media)
- Platformisation
Copyright: Tobias BlankeAI has always been an interdisciplinary object. The humanities play an important role in developing its future.
Prof. Tobias Blanke, Humanities and Computing Expert
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Big History of Arts, Culture and PoliticsPeriod 16
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Skills: Critical Reading & ArgumentationPeriod 13
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Fake News: Introducing The Human and AIPeriod 13
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Cultural SociologyPeriod 26
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Skills: Visual LiteracyPeriod 23
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Writing Women into History: Introducing Art and MediaPeriod 23
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Key Stories IPeriod 36
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Philosophy of Art & CulturePeriod 46
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Skills: Digital Literacy & Archival ResearchPeriod 43
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Museums and the Climate Emergency: Introducing Reimagining SustainabilityPeriod 43
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Global Politics and PowerPeriod 56
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Skills: Interviews & On Site ResearchPeriod 53
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Culture Wars: Introducing Culture and Social JusticePeriod 53
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Skills: Writing and the WebPeriod 66
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Major specific coursesPeriod 1Period 2Period 3Period 4Period 5Period 648
- Major Art & Media - Major - The Human and Artifical Intelligence - Major - Culture and Social Justice - Major - Reimagining Sustainability
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Philosophy of Science and the HumanitiesPeriod 26
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Key Stories IIPeriod 36
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(Programme related) Electives or MinorPeriod 1Period 2Period 3Period 4Period 548
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Bachelor’s Thesis or Final Bachelor ProjectPeriod 5Period 612