Master Geschiedenis Alumni Ervaringen

Studieprogramma: Master Global History and International Relations
Afstudeerjaar: 2024
Baan: Beleidsadviseur bij Huis voor Klokkenluiders

Sweet memories

Als ik terugdenk aan mijn master Global History and International Relations is een van mijn favoriete herinneringen de Thesis Conference. Dit is een speciale dag waarop iedereen van de studie zijn of haar Masteronderzoek presenteert. Los van het presenteren van mijn eigen scriptie, vond ik het ontzettend interessant om te horen wat voor onderwerpen andere studenten hadden gekozen voor hun onderzoek. Ook heb ik veel goede herinneringen aan de discussies die werden gevoerd in de les; met name wanneer we ons gingen verdiepen in hedendaagse conflicten zoals in Oekraïne en Gaza. Hier werd echt duidelijk hoe je de opleiding in de praktijk kan toepassen.

Bijdragen aan een integere samenleving

Na mijn masterstudie ben ik aan de slag gegaan als beleidsadviseur bij de Kennis- en Preventie afdeling van het Huis voor Klokkenluiders. We dragen als organisatie bij aan een integere samenleving met advies aan werknemers die bij maatschappelijke misstanden als 'klokkenluider' aan de bel trekken of door het doen van onderzoek naar misstanden. Maar we proberen ook overheden, semipublieke instellingen en bedrijven te stimuleren om hun integriteit te bewaken. 

In mijn specifieke functie houd ik me voornamelijk bezig met onderzoek doen naar hoe organisaties hun integriteitssysteem kunnen verbeteren. Daarnaast geef ik ook presentaties aan organisaties over integriteitsmanagement. Je kunt dus wel zeggen dat in mijn dagelijkse werkzaamheden de onderzoekvaardigheden en presentatievaardigheden die ik heb opgedaan tijdens mijn masterstudie goed van pas komen.  

Advies aan studiekiezers

Maak je geen zorgen als je geen eerdere opleiding in geschiedenis hebt afgerond! Zo heb ik zelf bijvoorbeeld een bachelor in Management of International Social Challenges gedaan. Omdat ik in mijn vrije tijd zoveel bezig was met moderne conflicten en de geschiedenis erachter, besloot ik me aan te melden voor de master Global History and International Relations: een beslissing waar ik heel blij mee ben. De opleiding is van hoog niveau, de docenten zijn experts, als student leer je ontzettend veel, en de studie bied je vele kansen om je carrière verder vorm te geven! 

• Education: History (BA); History of Society (MA)
• Graduated in: 2015
• Current job: Policy Officer at Ministry of Foreign Affairs

"The master programme Global History and International Relations seemed like a good start for my career after pursuing my bachelor in History. At the time, I did not know which way I wanted to go. During my masters I did an internship at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After that, I decided to focus on the training for starting policy offers at the Ministry – ‘diplomatenklasje’ is the popular term for it in the Netherlands."

Career

"Two months after my graduation I got a temporary job as data analyst at the Authority for Consumers & Markets. This was not related to my studies, but connected with prior work experience. After that job I did a traineeship at the European Commission, which resulted in another temporary job. In the meantime I did language courses and deepening programmes abroad on my own initiative. Subsequently, I started one and a half year after my graduation with the ‘diplomatenklasje’."

Historical basis

"Currently I work as a country desk for Italy, Spain, Portugal and the Vatican at the Europe Department. I will stay in this position for two years in total. After that, I will be placed as a diplomat in a posting abroad. My studies in history, and especially my masters, are a solid basis for my current job. Being in a position where you have to deal with recent and urgent international developments, it is very important to understand the – historical – backgrounds. Because of my educational background, I automatically take a long-term perspective when looking at emerging developments. This is an important quality in a world where the issues of the day sometimes get the upper hand."

• Education: Journalism (BA); American Studies (BA); History (MA)
• Graduated in: 2014
• Current job: Information Specialist at Rotterdamsch Leeskabinet

“After studying Journalism I wanted to deepen my knowledge. That is how I ended up at the bachelor American Studies at the University of Amsterdam. There I discovered that I found history on a meta-level really interesting. My choice for the master History was therefore purely based on the subjects that were taught. I always based my study choices on my own interests, but I thought the combination of Journalism and History would come in handy in the future.”

Lots of opportunities

“The master was interesting and challenging. The lecturers were really good and challenged you to work hard. There were a lot of opportunities for doing elective courses, internships and thesis subjects. It’s also possible to write your thesis for an interesting organization or archive. During the master, I developed a lot of skills that are beneficial at every job: thinking analytically and being critical on your own work so you keep improving it. We had to read a lot during the study and were challenged to think about that literature all the time.”

Well prepared

“During my master I worked for the bookshop Donner. When I graduated I got asked to work as a Student Assistant by supervising a Summer School from the University of California Berkeley and travelled with a group of American students through the Benelux for five weeks. Currently, I am working as an Information Specialist at Rotterdamsch Leeskabinet, that works together closely with the University Library of Erasmus University. The Leeskabinet is a library with a specialization in the humanities. That I studied the master History is definitely an advantage: I know all the subjects that matter. That comes in handy because I have to keep the collection up to date. I know which books are interesting for students. Besides that I am responsible for all communication of the Leeskabinet. As a history student I had to write a lot, which was a good preparation. “