Maastricht University – University College Maastricht

This course focuses on cultural difference and identity in an era in which the nation seems to lose its unifying significance in matters of personal identity and group identity formation. It analyzes how globalization influences identity and culture and the ways in which these interact with social differences, gender, ethnicity, religion, and nationality. Students become familiar with theories of globalization and culture such as hybridization, McDonaldization, the clash of civilizations, and concepts such as orientalism, occidentalism, and multiculturalism. Its orientation is both practical and theoretical. 

This course analyses European integration from the late 1940s until today. In a chronological order, it introduces students to themes such as security, economic integration, and enlargement that continue to influence European integration in the present. In parallel, it also provides an overview of the main theories explaining (aspects of) European integration related to these themes, including big theories such as neofunctionalism and neorealism, but also theories dealing with issues such as democratic legitimacy and the EU’s normative power. While firmly based in history, the sessions continuously seeks to also reflect on the relation between past processes and current developments, such as Brexit, or the Rule of law crisis, as they are unfolding. The course closes with a critical discussion on the main challenges European integration is faced with today and the views developed for its future development.

This course introduces basic economic ideas and concepts. Students analyze behavior on markets, outcomes of markets, and different market forms. Game theory is introduced to study situations with strategic interaction such as oligopolistic competition. Comparative advantage is used as an explanation of trade patterns. Macroeconomic indicators, economic fluctuations, and economic policy are reviewed. Monetary systems are covered in tutorials. Through presentations and special debates, tutorials provide the opportunity to apply and reflect on some of the contents of the course. The first part of the course mainly covers microeconomic topics and the second part is devoted to macroeconomics

Prerequisites: standard high school knowledge of basic mathematical concepts such as solving equations, reading and working with graphs, and manipulating inequalities is expected. In economics, no prior knowledge is assumed.