History

How does Ukraine protect its monuments in the current war? What policies should Dutch authorities develop concerning art stolen during the Second World War? What should be done with disputed statues related to Europe's colonial past?.These types of questions are pressing in our changing world, in which conflict and inequality necessitate us to rethink our attitudes towards the past and its cultural and material heritage. The Master’s track History and Heritage Consultancy at the University of Groningen teaches you how to expertly approach questions about the meaning and uses of (contested) heritage. The track is unique in its dual focus on historical analysis of heritage and professional skills—such as effective communication, grant writing and project management—required for working in the heritage and public sector.

History and Heritage Consultancy offers a broad range of methodological and research courses, which allows for a specialization in your personal field of interest and flexibility in your planning. You learn to interrogate the complexities of history and heritage present in buildings, objects, practices, customs and opinions of the past. You also develop relevant professional skills—for example, by completing assignments for public or heritage institutions, such as the Groninger Museum—which prepare you for immediate employment in the field of history and heritage.

You can follow this programme both full-time and part-time. If you wish to enrol to this programme per 1 February, please contact the study advisers.

How can historians help tackle problems within organizations? How can historical knowledge and skills contribute to detecting blind spots in organizations and thereby improve their effectiveness and social impact?.The Master’s track Politics, Organizations and Learning Histories at the University of Groningen prepares you to answer these types of questions about the inner workings of organizations. You are taught how to gain historical insight in long-term problems within organizations and how to solve these, after which you become an expert in using the past to solve current issues. The track is unique in its implementation of historical thinking to all kinds of organizations.The track focuses on the interconnection of politics and policy, democracy and legitimacy, and on the implementation and legal aspects of policy. You will contribute to solving societal problems by implementing historical knowledge and research by developing Learning Histories. This theory-based but practically applicable method requires the writing of a learning history that reveals certain blind spots within an organization’s past by analyzing sources and conducting interviews. During your studies, you will be assigned to an organization to develop and practise these skills in a practical manner.You can follow this programme both full-time and part-time. If you consider to enrol in February, please contact the study advisers.

Could climate change have impacted the fall of the Roman Empire? How do societies historically cope with crises, such as flooding or warfare? How can we understand wealth disparities from a historical perspective?.The Master’s track Un/sustainable Societies: Past, Present and Future at the University of Groningen teaches you to utilize historical knowledge and methods to address contemporary developments regarding the (un)sustainability of societies, thereby making you an expert in this field. The track is unique in its focus to learn historians to comprehend societal challenges and to contribute to related public debates from a historical perspective.Issues such as global inequality, environmental changes and democracy all have a long history. Knowledge of their history contributes to a better-informed public, concrete solutions and more sustainable policies. Therefore, you learn to identify, situate and analyse historical trends, to acquire in-depth historical knowledge as well as advanced skills and methods to conduct historical research, and to interrogate the complex interrelation of the past and present. With the aim of learning how to ask relevant questions and to formulate historical arguments in current debates, you will acquire the necessary knowledge and skills for connecting the past to current issues and how to conduct debates on future challenges.You can follow this programme both full-time and part-time. If you wish to enrol to this programme per 1 February, please contact the study advisers.