Course description and location
Brief description
Scientific and Societal Perspectives on the Climate Crisis
The latest scientific assessment by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has highlighted the urgency to act. As it points out, the damage from the climate crisis is already extensive, and global greenhouse gas emissions remain at record levels. The climate crisis thus continues to escalate while mitigation efforts appear not to be implemented quickly enough.
Against this background, this interdisciplinary course is concerned with examining, questioning and discussing the effects of global warming on the climate, on our environment, and on current and future societies. It tackles the topic of climate crisis from a range of perspectives to understand the scientific, societal and normative challenges posed by global warming.
Engaging with recent research on climate change, this yearâs Honours programme will turn to the natural sciences to better understand its workings and effects. It will also draw on sociological, political and cultural fields of research to consider the factors at play in the fact humans continue to engage in activities that are destructive to the earthâs environment. It will look at both local and international policies to examine sources and trends of greenhouse gas emissions and a range of mitigation and adaptation measures. Finally, it will also reflect on individual actions and how they impact the planet and climate, as well as forms of collective climate activism.
Course topics will thus include (but are not limited to): Scientific research on global warming, climate fiction, climate policy, climate justice and climate activism.
Some questions the course engages with are: What are the latest facts regarding global warming? What is the latest research on future climate projections? Why have political actors found it so difficult to agree on an effective response to climate change? What issues of equity and climate justice are at play in the climate crisis? What might a just response to global warming look like? What role does culture play in the climate crisis? What can we as individuals and collectives do to counter global warming?
Over the 8 sessions of this course, we will explore these issues together, taking seriously environmental engineer Costa Samarasâs assertion that climate change is the landscape on which our future unfolds.
We will meet on the following Wednesdays during the academic year 2023-24, mainly in the evening (18h00 - 20h30): 8/11, 15/11, 29/11, 13/12, 14/02, 28/02, 13/03, 27/03.
Most of our sessions will take place in person at Muntpunt, in the centre of Brussels.
Lecturer
Prof.Dr. Hannah Van Hove
Hannah Van Hove is Assistant Professor of the Honours Programme and postdoctoral research fellow at VUB. She received her PhD in 2017 from the University of Glasgow and is currently conducting a research project on British post-war experimental women's writing which combines insights from English Literature with those from the fields of Gender Studies, Medical Humanities, Psychology and Philosophy. She has published reviews and articles on mid-twentieth century avant-garde fiction and has translated some of Flemish modernist Paul van Ostaijenâs poetry. Together with Andrew Radford, she is the editor of British Experimental Womenâs Fiction, 1945â1975: Slipping Through the Labels (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021). She is Chair of the Anna Kavan Society, sits on the editorial board of the Journal for Literary and Intermedial Crossings and is a member of the Centre for Literary and Intermedial Crossings and the artistic research group Deep Histories Fragile Memories. She is PI on the OSL-funded research incubator project âCreative-Critical Approaches to the Medical Humanitiesâ (2023-24).
Expectations
Attendance
You will be required to attend at least seven Wednesday discussions. These will take place in person. Youâll need to plan your academic year accordingly. Even if you are unable to attend one of these sessions, you will still be required to fulfil the written assignments for all eight. (See below.)
Preparation
You will need to complete the assignments for all eight Wednesday discussions. For each assignment:
- you will need to complete all the reading work relating to the discussions, and demonstrate that you have done so during the discussion itself (these will include occasional question and answer sessions)
- you will need to post a brief reflection essay (2 pages) about what weâre reading prior to each Wednesday discussion. You will receive suggestions to help your reading/thinking, but of course youâll be free to shape this reflection essay as you wish. You will need to post your essay on the course dropbox by 18h on the Monday preceding the Wednesday discussion to give everyone a chance to read each otherâs thoughts. Please note: these short essays will be graded simply based upon completion and effort â there are no âcorrectâ or âincorrectâ answers!
- you will need to formulate 1 or 2 questions in preparation for each Wednesday discussion, which can be added to your brief reflection essay mentioned above.
- be sure to ask questions at the discussion sessions themselves!
Final Assignment
You will be required to write one final essay (or craft a video presentation or audio podcast). This work will demonstrate that you have studied and familiarised yourself with the works and research that we have encountered, and that you have thought through their implications. You will also need to show that you can think in a complex and nuanced manner; and that you can express yourself clearly. The VUB Honours Programme might publishsome of these works on its website.
Honours Certificate
An Honours Certificate, signed by the Rector, will endorse your successful participation in the Programme.
Application
How can I apply?
You can submit your online application by 15/10 when you have acquired at least 60 credits at undergraduate level in an academic bachelorâs programme and have achieved good study results (at least the equivalent of 'distinction').
Interested in applying to join the VUB Honours Programme? Please fill out the application form by 18/10.
Contact
For more information about the VUB Honours Programme, send us an email at:
Testimonial
Aron Branckaert (Psychology), 2022-23
It was a real honor to be a part of the VUB Honours Programme! The program as a whole has a lot to offer, but - according to me - the most interesting part is that it gave me the impetus to become more informed about a wide range of societal issues and that it challenged me to reflect about my own attitudes, opinions and beliefs. I had to carefully think them through, write them down and discuss them in a group of fellow students who went through the same process. In doing so, we broadened our horizons, convictions and perspectives, not only about the themes at hand, but about the whole world in general. And thatâs what made this program a truly enriching experience!
Testimonial
Darren Mijs (Law), 2021-2022
The Honours Programme brought students from all over Belgium and the world together. Furthermore, it introduced me to works I would not have encountered otherwise. The group discussions and contributions from my colleagues expanded my knowledge on both an educational and a personal level. This challenged me to think about certain societal topics in a different way and helped me articulate what I learned. Iâm grateful for the opportunity to take part in this wonderful programme and wish to thank my fellow Honours students and professor Van Hove for a great experience.
Testimonial
Mirafzal Mirjaloliy (Business Economics), 2022-23
The Honours programme turned out to be not only horizon-broadening but also a very fun activity in which you meet amazing students from different backgrounds and an excellent professor with whom you delve into topics you had never thought about before. I really looked forward to each session. By listening to different perspectives on a certain topic, you get a chance to step outside your own âbubbleâ, acquire a broad mindset and learn to properly express yourself⌠I recommend applying and taking a step toward making our world a better place!
Testimonial
Anjellica Ossowski Lopez (International Business), 2021-2022
This program has given us all an open and safe space to discuss the most pressing and even controversial issues in this world. I have personally enjoyed our discussions even though it could at times get really heavy and emotionally draining. Thanks to professor Van Hove, she has allowed us all to view the problems in the world from a much wider and more inclusive perspective â and now that my eyes have been opened, I donât think I would be able to view the world the same again.
Testimonial
Alexandra Sarahni (Social Sciences), 2021-2022
I never felt more academically welcomed and challenged in an environment until the Honours Programme. For those who are lucky enough to be accepted and take part, they will face a programme that opens up new perspectives and ways to envision our current society. I have to take a moment to thank Professor Van Hove, who has promoted a sense of compassion, open-mindedness and healthy debates. I will carry what I have learned in the Honours Programme for my entire life.
Testimonial
Mirte Stiers (Medicine), 2021-2022
The Honours Programme offers the chance to explore interests and reflect on topics that may not be as commonly addressed in your own studies. By not only reading or watching the discussed works, but by having to turn them into short reflections, you are really prompted to think about different, relevant, and even controversial, topics within society. This way you can expand and sharpen your own perspective on these issues. In the following thought-provoking, guided discussions the course offers there was always plenty of room left for everyone to share their own ideas and experience. Listening to the different point of views of all these other people, with different academic and personal backgrounds, was for me maybe the most enjoyable and interesting part of the programme. You will be stimulated and inspired to broaden your own view on the world!
Testimonial
Eldad Vainstoc (Social Sciences), 2021-2022
Perhaps the greatest merit of the honours programme is the multidisciplinary environment it provides. I was lucky to engage with passionate minds from different academic backgrounds, which was not only intellectually stimulating but a refreshing change from the debates of everyday classes. We were free to think critically and independently on a variety of sources, from academic texts to an art exhibition, and reflect on the meaning and implications of concepts such as knowledge, truth, and power. I would recommend the programme to any individual that wishes to broaden his/her intellectual horizons and engage in a mind-stimulating activity.
Testimonial
Femke Van Der Smissen (Linguistics and Literary Studies), 2021-2022
The main focus of my English literature studies is to approach literary texts from different perspectives and examine how these perspectives can alter the way a text is interpreted. In spite of the incentive, the truth is that often these perspectives still come from all literary scholars. The VUB Honours Programme in 2021-2022 not only broadened my personal horizons but also allowed for fresh outlooks, owing to its multidisciplinary nature. Due to the diversity of materials and the presence of so many people from different fields, it was a journey into new perspectives and new âways of seeingâ. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the organization and professor Van Hove in particular. She provided us with the freedom to discuss the materials creatively throughout the reflection essays (but also through poems, videos, short stories, photography, etcâŚ) and plenary discussions. This was a very valuable experience that enriched my university career.
Testimonial
Yenthe Van Sande (Law), 2022-23
The VUB Honors programme is characterized by its emphasis on in-depth conversations, critical debates, and fellowship. As such, it is highly recommended for ambitious students seeking to distinguish themselves and reach their full potential. Enrolling in this programme has enabled me to advance towards success as a student, and I am deeply appreciative of the guidance and insights provided by Professor Van Hove. This rigorous programme offers an outstanding opportunity to challenge oneself academically and acquire valuable skills and experience that will prove beneficial in one's future career.