Netherlands

This course offers an introduction to the theories and debates in policy studies, public policy analysis, comparative politics, international relations, political economy, sociology, and development economics. As such, the course does not aim to provide concrete policy answers in many cases to longstanding policy debates and questions, but instead intellectually guides students to think through these big questions. The overarching goal in this course is to understand why there is no “one size fits all” policy solutions. That means there's no generic solution. But there are some key principles to help find the right policy in the right situation, and history to learn from. The class consists of three modules. Module one focuses on the fundamentals of the politics of the policy process. Here, the course explores the intersection between politics and public policy, the usefulness and criticisms of the policy cycle, the role of official and unofficial actors in the policy-making process, as well as the major theories of the policy process. Module two reviews major factors and causes that account for variation in policy outcomes across countries. Importantly, the course discusses and analyzes the factors that explain variation in public policies across countries and the domestic context of policymaking in both developed and developing countries. Lastly, in module three, the course concludes by empirically reviewing the highly contested topics that animate today’s public debates, such as immigration and citizenship, education, health care, and welfare policies.

Ecophysiology is the study of physiological adaptations of organisms in relation to the environments in which they live. It has become an increasingly important science, because an understanding of the relationship between organism and environment is essential in order to predict the effects of man-made environmental change. The physiology of an organism incorporates many of its most important adaptations to the environment in which it lives. This course considers the variety of environmental pressures imposed on organismal physiology. It examines the often ingenious solutions that evolve in response to these pressures, and how different organisms and groups of organisms have evolved different physiological means of dealing with the same problem. The course focuses both on the abiotic environment (e.g. issues related to climate, gas exchange) and the biotic environment (e.g. how digestive physiology is adapted to plant toxins). Towards the end of the course, students look at Conservation Physiology, one of the practical applications of ecophysiology. There is a particular focus on the physiological adaptations of animals. Although BIO2004 General Zoology is not a prerequisite for this course, the course is recommended before taking Ecophysiology.

This course introduces students to the world of Human Geography and human geography of the world. Starting from the proclaimed death of geography as a result of ongoing processes of globalization, this course investigates how geography is still relevant, at the global, national, regional, and local levels. Students familiarize themselves with the conceptual base of contemporary human geography, learn about different traditions within the field of human geography, and study a range of global and local issues from a human geographical point of view. The course content is divided into three thematic sections: globalization and the death of geography, from Fordism to post-Fordism, global production networks, and the impact of globalization on places; the hollowing out of the nation-state: nations, national identities, and rescaling; and the mixed blessing of tourism: economic, ecological, and socio-cultural impacts of tourism.

This is an introductory course in the field of IR. It provides an overview of the plurality of the discipline, from foreign policy and institutionalism to postmodern and feminist approaches. It focuses on four aspects: theory, topics, reflexive practice, and research. The theories and topics are the backbone of the course, discussing different theoretical approaches and related themes every week through readings and presentations. Reflexive practice comes in the form of a simulation game, in which direct experiences are connected to the theoretical and empirical content of the course. In the research part, students learn how to apply IR theory meaningfully to concrete case studies.

The course intends to trace back current situations to their historical backgrounds. The course contents consist of a brief exploration of the philosophy of history and some issues regarding historical perspective, a discussion of the concepts of "state" versus "nation" (in anticipation of issues regarding decolonization, specific regional conflicts, and possible sources for conflict in general that will also be discussed) and a discussion of the Cold War as an influential factor in recent history. Additional course contents, under the captions of “Area surveys” and “Assessment of the current global situation” respectively, are built around a case that represents the underlying problem, and both combined will lead the students to specific source material. Examples of such cases are decolonization, the economic development of Asia, conflict in Africa, and the implications of the current position of the USA as "solitary superpower." The course discusses the main trends in politics, demography, society, and culture over the last 70 years and to put these trends in a global context. The course develops a critical attitude towards the use of historical theory, and the interpretation of historical data and processes.

This course offers an introduction to the study of climate and society. The course utilizes a strong multidisciplinary approach and is open to students of several disciplines. The course's structure mirrors the structure used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC). The IPPC recently released a new series of reports on the physics of the climate system, adaption strategies and mitigation strategies, as well as a synthesis report. The course examines these reports and strategies by the IPPC through a wide scope of lecturers. The course discusses topics including physics of the climate system, adaptation, mitigation, economical aspects, legal aspects, political aspects, and anthropology. The course consists of oral lectures, exercises, work groups and discussion sections, and a short examination. There are no prerequisites for this course.