"As a historian, should you embrace and write down your moral opinion about the things you encounter, or should you not? We discuss this during our courses, and now I am able to handle this more consciously while writing."
More In-Depth
Renée Brouwer finds the level of the Master's in History much deeper and more philosophical than that of the Bachelor's programme. "Especially when it comes to the way of thinking. We are really encouraged to have our own opinion, to determine our position, and then we discuss it. What are strong arguments, and does your opinion hold up or not? That’s very valuable."
Making your own choices
Apart from the mandatory courses, Renée can choose the rest of her study program. "We have a very diverse team of lecturers. Just about everything is covered here, from specialists in the Middle Ages to Asian and economic history. And they’re all very dedicated, which I think is the real strength of the programme. My experience is also that if you really want something, the lecturers will think along with you to see how it can be realised."
Tools and Guidance
Renée’s focus is on religious history. “I’m going to write my thesis on the Reformed Church and slavery, and I’ll be doing a specialised tutorial in religious history. I arranged an internship for myself at a Christian international NGO. They’re currently working on an event where Christians and Muslims are brought together. I’m helping write an opinion piece about that. For the background research needed, I’ve been given a lot of tools and guidance at VU.”
Future
"To be honest, I’m not sure yet what I want to do in the future, but I want to do something meaningful. I hope the internship will give me some direction, so I can better understand what suits me and what doesn’t."
