Education

The course introduces the Norwegian education system within its Nordic context. It provides a thorough understanding of all relevant components of the Norwegian education system. In addition, it introduces the notion of "the Nordic model," how it affects Norwegian education, as well as how it relates to the European idea and other educational models. The course covers both formal and informal institutional practices in education, and address questions about the ideas of democracy, inclusion and exclusion, the role of knowledge and expertise, the public and private dimension, lifelong learning, and access.

This course invites students to do a thorough reflection on what it means to be an educated human being. Starting from the classical concept of the artes liberales, it explores the different forms this concept has taken on throughout Western history, such as the humanistic ideal of the "homo universalis," the 19th century concept of Bildung, and the late 20th and 21st-century ideal of "global citizenship." The course also examines the most important challenges which liberal education has faced throughout its long history: e.g. utilitarianism (Plato against the sophists), scholasticism (Lorenzo Valla’s critique of medieval "obscurantism"), and the challenge posed by the 19th-century concept of "professional science." Moreover, the course explores the surprising ways in which ideals of liberal education have spread by means of literature, e.g. through the "Bildungsroman" (H. Hesse), the "epic theatre" (Bertolt Brecht) and even the modern detective (Sherlock Holmes). Lastly, the course invites students to write a conclusive statement on the value of liberal education by asking students to rethink how liberal education has formed their character in previous years and how it is likely to bear on life choices that are upcoming in the future.

This course is designed for students wishing to clarify and advance their career goals through an 8-week internship in Thailand. It provides a structured learning environment to help students make the most of their internship experience. While there are no regularly scheduled class meetings, internships are conducted under the close academic supervision of the School of Global Studies at Thammasat University. An assigned internship coordinator provides oversight and guidance for the duration of the internship. The course requires a minimum of 288 total work hours. 

During the course, students attend sessions at the UCL Institute of Education (IOE) where a range of experts present their responses to the question: what is education? Students are encouraged to consider and share their responses to this and other questions, in relation to their own contexts.

The course is designed to prepare students for leadership in a globally interdependent and culturally diverse workforce. Throughout the course, students are challenged to question, think, and respond thoughtfully to the issues they observe and encounter in the internship setting, and the designated city in general. Students have the opportunity to cultivate the leadership skills as defined by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), such as critical thinking, teamwork, and diversity. Assignments focus on building a portfolio that highlights those competencies and their application to workplace skills. The hybrid nature of the course allows students to develop their skills in a self-paced environment with face-to-face meetings and check-ins to frame their intercultural internship experience. Students complete 45 hours of in-person and asynchronous online learning activities and 225-300 hours at their internship placement.

Learning and learners are at the heart of education, yet they are often absent from educational studies. This course considers how ideas, theories, and policies played out in experiences of learning as well as the ways in which learning has been transformed over time. The experience of learning is connected to broader political, social, economic, and cultural changes. Students are introduced to the ways that learning has been understood and practiced in the past, the forms of learning that took place and its significance in people’s lives. Who was able to learn, and what they learnt, are closely related to changing forms of inequality. Themes include histories of school learning, higher education, learning in civil society, learning at work and in the domestic sphere. Although the course is mainly focused on the UK, there will be scope to pursue international comparisons.