Culture Courses
The Utrecht Summer School offers a variety of academic courses on cultural topics. Central issues include European integration, cultural diversity and intercultural communication.
All courses include the teaching format in the course description.
31 course(s) found
Multidisciplinary Game Research: Between Theory and Practice
This summer course provides a multidisciplinary perspective on games and play in contemporary culture, combining perspectives from various disciplines within the humanities, social sciences and computer sciences. It addresses the challenges but also the transformative potential of both ‘applied’ and entertainment games, and provides participants with a holistic perspective including analysis, design and validation. By combining aspects of theory…
Doing Business in Europe
track
This track offers two different yet complementing approaches to the world of business from a European perspective. First, you will be introduced to the European Union and its historical, social, and economic developments as well as its future challenges. Next, we will widen our view and look at the European Union as a business network. You will discuss the economic future of Europe, take on exciting case studies and visit Milan where you will be…
Doing Business in Europe (extended)
track
This track offers three different yet complementing approaches to the world of business from a European perspective. First, you will be introduced to the European Union and its historical, social and economic developments. Next, we will widen our view and look at the European Union as a business network. A visit to Milan, fashion capital of Europe, is included. Lastly, you will obtain hands-on practice in running a company; using your knowledge…
Dutch Culture in a European Context
track
This special track offers you the opportunity to study European and Dutch culture from one of the oldest and most beautiful cities of The Netherlands; the city of Utrecht. Excursions will take you from the Royal Museum of Fine Arts and the European Parliament in Brussels, to The Hague and Amsterdam where you will visit the seat of the Dutch government and study paintings by Rembrandt and Van Gogh up close.
European Encounters: Diversity and Integration from West to East
track
This track is a joint programme on European integration by the Utrecht University’s Summer School and the International Summer University of the University of Tartu. The aim of the course is to introduce the diversity and unity of European Identities, the European Union, (shared) foreign policy and new challenges. The course will dive into the different and diverse identities that can be found in Europe, and provide insight into Estonia, going…
European Encounters: The Baltics in the European Union
track
The Baltic States share an intricate history of repression and liberation and are now thriving culturally and economically. Learn about the history and identity of these countries and their connection to the European Union over the course of six inspiring and educational weeks. From lectures to company visits, from museums to the European parliament, you will have a diverse and unforgettable experience in these three distinct yet interconnected…
Old Catholic Theology: The Early Church as Charism and Challenge
track
This online track consists of two connected courses that offer in the first week an introduction to Old Catholic theology in its ecumenical context and in the second week the possibility to deepen your understanding of Old Catholic Theology by thematic and in-depth case-driven classes. Old Catholic theology is understood as the main theological currents as they exist in Union of Utrecht of Old Catholic Churches. The first week will offer a broad…
Discovering the Dutch: Dutch Culture and Society
track
This special track explores the question of Dutch identity by placing the history of the Netherlands and Dutch art in a wider European and transatlantic perspective. You will be introduced to the rich cultural traditions that the Netherlands developed from the Dutch Golden Age to the present day in such artistic fields as painting, literature, poetry and filmmaking. You will also analyse internationally debated issues in Dutch society in the…
The Making of Europe
track
Dive into the thrilling history of Europe and its role on the world stage, studying in three of the most exciting cities of Europe: Rome, Utrecht and Berlin! The combination of three courses, designed by three excellent European universities, will provide an exciting overview of the history and workings of Europe. Immerse yourself in Europe’s history and culture and visit many of the tangible remains during excursions, city walks and in museums…
Founding Europe: From Antiquity to the 19th Century
track
Come and study in two of the most exciting cities of Europe: Rome and Utrecht! You will dive into the exhilarating history of Europe, from the rise of civilization in Antiquity to the modern era of the 19th century. Together, these courses will provide you with a thorough knowledge of the history of these cities and nations, as well as an exciting overview of the history and workings of Europe.
In case we are not able to offer this course face-…
The Rise of Modern Europe
track
Seize the opportunity to stay in two of the most exciting cities of Europe: Utrecht and Berlin, and travel back in time! The two parts of this programme will provide you with an exciting Dutch and German outlook on the history of Europe and help you understand the different factors that came to shape modern Europe. You will immerse yourself in Europe’s history and culture from the Middle Ages to the end of the twentieth century and visit many of…
Learning to Unlearn Decolonially (Living, knowing, the university & the museum)
Coloniality of knowledge, aesthetics and spirituality are areas of experience managed and controlled by major Western institutions. The combination of institutions and languages secured the belief in the universality of Western knowledge, aesthetics, beliefs and its peculiar 'rational' world-view. It also drove the appropriation and destitution of non-western knowledges, aesthesis and spiritualities. The seminar will be devoted to explore…
Internationalisation Challenged – Rethinking Global Higher Education
The changing world order is affecting higher education. Universities are urged to think about the nature of their international partnerships and the academic values they wish to defend. And most importantly about how they prepare their students for this 21st century world. International higher education has always been inherently associated with internationalism, fostering mutual understanding and (global) peace. Universities have virtually all…
European Cultures and Identities
Have you ever wondered what makes Europeans ‘European’? During this course you will uncover the answers while staying in the beautiful medieval city of Utrecht. You will uncover Europe’s cultural pluralism and examine its varied identities that still exist today; even though the majority of European countries is progressively collaborating on an economic and political level. Each of Europe’s countries and peoples still carry their own…
Dutch Culture: History and Art
During this course you will be introduced to the rich cultural traditions developed in the Netherlands from the 17th Century to the present day in artistic fields such as painting, literature, poetry and film-making. The question of Dutch identity will be explored by placing the history of the Netherlands and Dutch art in a wider European Perspective. This will then lead to exploring traditions of literacy, cosmopolitanism, tolerance, its…
Battlefields Uncovered: Introduction to Archaeological and Historical Investigations of Conflict
What do battlefields have to tell us about the past and about ourselves? Battlefields Uncovered studies some of the most dramatic turning points in World History through the lens of Military History and Archaeology. See how groundbreaking archaeological techniques can shine a light through the fog of war. Discover the complex issues to be considered when preserving and presenting places of past armed conflict. Consider what stories should be…
Battlefields Uncovered 2: Developing and Demonstrating Understanding of Places of Past Conflict
If you have previously completed Battlefields Uncovered: Introduction to Archaeological and Historical Investigations of Conflict, you can build on your learning in this course. You can choose to either join a heritage organisation near you to gain more practical skills or to write a guided research paper.
Waterloo Uncovered Battlefield Excavation
A unique chance to access one of history's greatest battlefields at Waterloo and to work with a world-leading team of archaeologists and historians. Experience first-hand what it's like to uncover the past and to interpret those finds with the guidance of leading experts. This entry-level course requires no previous archaeological experience and is open to registered university students and to serving and former military personnel.
Exploring Culture through Data: Digital methods & Data practices
The accelerating datafication of society constitutes challenges and opportunities for humanities research. Participants of this course get acquainted with some of the (methodological) fundamentals of data practices in the Digital humanities. These will include data collection, data preparation, data visualisation, critical data and algorithm studies, network analysis, and an introduction to programming in Python. After training these skills for…
European Politics and Economy
The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 27 democratic European member states. With almost 500 million citizens, it has become a major player in global politics. In this online course, the European Union is the main object of study. You will be introduced to the Union's history, institutional structures, current aims and future challenges. Lectures will explain the historical background and the various stages of integration.…
Latvia: The Baltic States and its Neighbouring Powers
In this course you will discover what happens when a small country has big neighbouring countries. How far do their influences stretch? Besides impacting the history and culture of a country, what other effects occur? You will explore topics such as business ethics and corruption, humour as a communication tool, manipulation of social groups, emotions and their impact on large groups, influence of music, the history and cultural heritage of the…
Estonia: Economic Innovation and Baltic Regional Security
Gain insight into what happens when a small country has big neighbouring countries. In the first module you will grasp the scale and interconnectedness of the various challenges that Estonia has faced and might face in the future. Lectures focus on business and innovation, finance and its digital transformation. The second module concentrates on the international position and foreign policies of the countries of the Baltic Sea Region in…
Old Catholic Theology in its Ecumenical Context
This course offers an introduction to Old Catholic theology in an ecumenical context. Old Catholic theology is understood as the main theological currents as they exist in the Union of Utrecht of Old Catholic Churches. The topics covered by the course include the following aspects of Old Catholic theology and tradition: the history of Old Catholicism, spirituality, ecumenism, canon law and ecclesiology, liturgy, and systematic theology. In 2021…
The Early Church as Ideal: Old Catholic Theology beyond the Basics
This course offers the possibility to deepen your knowledge of Old Catholic theology by thematic and in-depth case-driven classes, linked to a key starting point of Old Catholic theology: the faith and order of the Early Church. How can a modern church be so ‘traditional’ at the same time? This apparent tension and paradox will be the core theme of this weeklong, intensive course. In 2021, this course will be offered online for the first time.
The Posthuman & New Materialism
The course will continue the tradition of neo-materialist, critical feminist posthuman theory that Braidotti is known for. It focusses on the intersections and divergences between two movements of thought that are close, but distinct. The course offers an overview of this scholarship across a trans-disciplinary range of fields that includes philosophy, literature, law, media, pedagogy and the arts. Mindful of the patterns of exclusion of the…
Dutch Culture: Society and Current Issues
In this course you will explore Dutch culture and identity by focusing on present-day Dutch society and its recent history. You will learn about typically Dutch phenomena such as the poldermodel, mobile flood barriers and windmills as well as their contributions to the economic success and the international orientation of the Netherlands. You will also have lectures on subjects such as religious diversity, (im)migration and secularization. One…
The Making of Europe: From Middle Ages to Modernity
Taking the beautiful city of Utrecht as a starting point, this course will bring you the opportunity to step into history. This historical journey, which illuminates Europe from the Middle Ages to the end of the 19th century, will help you to understand the many social, historical, religious and cultural factors that came to shape modern Europe. If we cannot offer this course face-to-face, we might offer History courses online (although possibly…
The Making of Europe: Rise of Civilization
We will bring you to the heart of Rome, where you will learn about the political, social and religious history behind the Roman Empire, the Middle Ages and the birth of the Renaissance and Baroque. You will study the astonishing Italian accomplishments from the ancient to the early modern era. You will also visit a variety of beautiful ancient sites in the city, such as the Pantheon, Colosseum and many more! In case this course cannot be offered…
The Making of Europe: The Long 20th Century
Where better than the thrilling city of Berlin to study the making of Europe in the 20th century? The course will identify the democratic values that have shaped the rebirth of Europe and discuss current challenges which Europe is facing. You will join several excursions to key sites in Berlin during this course. In case we are not able to offer this course face-to-face, there might be online History and Culture courses you can join. Check our…
Introduction to Intercultural Communication
This course will be offered in an online setting. This course provides an introduction on foundational theories in the field of intercultural communication. These theories will be linked to different contexts, ranging from education and business, to migration and media. Drawing from different exercises and assignments throughout the course, we will conclude by focusing on enhancing your own intercultural awareness and applying the theories to…
Research Methods in Intercultural Communication
This course will be offered in an online setting. In this course, students will be introduced to the basics of conducting research in the field of Intercultural Communication. Common pitfalls of intercultural and multilingual research and possible practical solutions will also be considered. This course combines theory and relevant considerations about research methods with a more practical approach in which different methods of data collection…