New Honours Programme for addressing inequalities

Inequality is not only a relevant academic entry point into the three themes ‘Dynamics of Inclusive Prosperity’, ‘Smarter Choices for Better Health’, and ‘Vital Cities and Citizens’, the Erasmus Initiatives launched in 2016. It is also a pressing societal, cultural and economic concern as, for example, evidenced in the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Moreover, inequalities are also prevalent in Rotterdam, hometown of Erasmus University, for example in terms of access to economic opportunities, to social mobility, to clean air, to health care, to education and to culture.

“Tackling Inequalities” offers master students an exclusive interdisciplinary opportunity to research diverse inequalities. They can use academic knowledge to address and find solutions for the kind of global societal challenges that Rotterdam faces.

Programme

The programme is open to 18 students who are enrolled in an EUR master programme during the academic year of 2018-2019, at a faculty or institute of Erasmus University.

Part I of the programme consists of a series of masterclasses in which academic experts discuss the kind of research questions, theoretical frameworks, empirical efforts and methods that characterize their theme’s approach to tackling inequality.

In Part II of the programme students split up in three interdisciplinary teams. Under the supervision of an academic expert, each team produces and executes a research plan to gather and analyze data and produce insights and advice in order to tackle a specific kind of inequality in Rotterdam.

Parts of these data may be produced or gathered during a two to three-week team research stay abroad, for example in a city that has successfully tackled inequalities or in a place where relevant knowledge about tackling inequalities is produced. The programme can cover the basic costs for this “Van Beek Expedition” (travel and accommodation), thanks to the generous sponsorship of the A.A. van Beek Fonds. The programme itself is free of charge.

The results and advice of the three teams’ research projects will be presented in one final educational media production (e.g. MOOC, podcast, documentary). For this production, all 18 students work together, all in close collaboration with the expertise and tools available through EUR’s brand new Education Lab and its Community for Learning and Innovation.

Students who successfully complete this extra-merit programme (equivalent of 15 EC) receive a certificate, signed by the Rector Magnificus.

More info on the programme on website on MyEUR.