Published 29 July 2008
The University of Amsterdam (UvA) has for decades enjoyed a reputation as one of the most vibrant universities on the European continent. The UvA has particular strength in the social sciences and this reputation has to do with internationally oriented academics working at the cutting edge of the social sciences, and a large and diverse group of students from many parts of the world. The decision to create the Amsterdam Graduate School of Social Sciences (GSSS) in September 2008 offers an opportunity to further consolidate and strengthen the energy, enthusiasm and international ambition that created UvA's reputation.
The ambition is to create a dynamic, multifaceted institution marked by high academic standards, an international atmosphere, and a vibrant "academic commons" with multiple public events. The school fosters an open, engaged and international intellectual atmosphere where students at all levels, academic staff and international scholars engage each other in debates, in seminars and in the class rooms.
The new Amsterdam Graduate School of Social Science encompasses all the existing Master's, Research Master's and PhD programmes in Human Geography, Urban and Regional Planning, Development Studies, Political Science, Sociology and Anthropology.
The larger size of the programmes allows a higher level of concentration of resources and people and affords the school to pursue the following five essential goals: - Academic programmes and events that cut across disciplines and specific interests without in any way diluting standards or scholarly sophistication;
- Deep informed and theoretically sophisticated engagement with specific issues within regions, themes and disciplines;
- A high level of interaction between students and programmes at all levels - in public seminar discussions and in smaller, flexible seminars and tutorial groups that adapt to changing interests;
- A culture of academic excellence, high standards, curiosity and flexibility that rewards ambition, innovation and hard work among both students and teachers;
- A non-provincial intellectual culture that is develops broad, critically and historically informed research on global issues and on the rapidly changing balance of power in a world beyond the colonial legacy in every sense;
- A vibrant intellectual culture placed in a rich and diverse and international academic commons in which staff-members, visiting scholars and students at all levels interact.
The Graduate School seeks to attract Dutch and international students at all levels by insisting on high standards in the educational programmes, in its academic culture and in the scholarship of its staff members.
The continued internationalisation efforts of the GSSS build on the good reputation of the ISHSS and the research institutes in the social sciences at UvA. The main aims are: - Creation of a vibrant ‘academic commons' that provide ample exposure of students to international academics and visitors;
- Expansion of the quality and range of research Master's courses;
- Expansion of the number of English language courses in all curricula;
- Upgrading of language requirements and the quality of written academic English at the GSSS for all students and adequate support and training for lecturers and other staff (where this applies);
- Expansion (where necessary) of the percentage of international students in all English language courses to at least 50%;
- More and stronger exchange agreements with leading universities in Europe, Asia and North America. These agreements can pertain to exchange of both undergraduate and graduate students, as well as staff.
The GSSS will be implemented in two phases. The English language and Dutch language Master's and Research Master's programmes will be integrated in the first phase from September 2008 to September 2009. The second phase will be the integration of the PhD-programmes presently within ASSR, AMIDSt and IMES. More information about this integration and planning will follow.
Source: Graduate School of Social Sciences
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