This course offers an internationalist approach to hot topics in US history, foreign policy, politics, and culture. How have Americans reckoned with slavery and colonialism, and what insights does this offer for Europe? Do Donald Trump’s political successes suggest that democracy is under threat everywhere? What are the historical roots of the United States’ recent military action in Venezuela and war in Iran? Why are so many American men angry, and who are their international counterparts? And can the world's biggest historical polluter become part of the climate solution? These are just some of the questions addressed by our interdisciplinary team of historians, cultural analysts, international relations experts, political scientists, gender specialists, and policy practitioners.

This course will give you new insights into why the United States is such a controversial—and consequential—force in the world.

Coordinator

Katy Hull

Timetable

You can find the timetable on Datanose.

Entry requirements

Open to second-year and third-year UvA Bachelor's students and other interested parties, such as contract students or students from other Dutch higher education institutions. Master's students can only participate if there are still spots available.

Registration

UvA Bachelor's students can register from 8 to 15 June 2026 in the GLASS registration rounds. Master’s students can send a short motivation to keuzeonderwijs-iis@uva.nl.

‘Bijvak’ students and contract students can register from 8 June 2026 until two weeks prior to the start of the course, by completing the online registration form.

For this course, highschool students also have the possibility to join the lectures. Pupils may participate in these courses free of charge, accompanied by one supervisor per school. There is a maximum of six students per school. For more information about the registration procedure, schools can contact us at keuzeonderwijs-iis@uva.nl

If you have any trouble while registering, please contact us at keuzeonderwijs-iis@uva.nl.

Please note: as a contract student you can choose to participate either including or excluding assessment. If you choose the latter, you only have access to the seven lectures of the course. If you also wish to attend the seminars, please choose 'including assessment'.

Costs

Prices can be found on the IIS website.

SDGs in education

The IIS strives to reflect current societal issues and challenges in our elective courses, honours modules and degree programmes and attempts to integrate the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in this course. For more information about these goals, please visit the SDGs website.