Introduction
Education without ideals is boring. What could be more interesting than studying educational ideals and seeing how they connect to present-day education? The Cold War was a period that sparked many educational initiatives, ranging from top-down international initiatives such as UNESCO, many national educational reforms, a stunning amount of local initiatives to further educational opportunities for their pupils, to the very mundane initiatives of computer clubs –advocating for autodidactic learning. Building on recent publications, the aim of this course is to describe the fundamental changes in the educational systems in various countries during the Cold War: from pupils and parents demanding new subjects to be taught (or old subjects to be addressed in new ways), to teachers introducing new subjects. Moreover, we will discuss how these initiatives influenced national and international educational thought.
Course overview
Coordinating lecturer: D.J. Beckers
Other lecturer: H. Durnova
Forms of tuition: lectures and workgroups
Forms of assessment: presentation and participation
Credits: 3 ECTS
Contact hours: 50 hours
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Describe and recognize the various educational ideals that were around between 1945 and 1989
- Describe the historical changes taking place in the educational systems of various countries in the Cold War episode
- Read and evaluate a varied number of sources on one of the educational reforms, and be able to put them into the Cold War context
- Reflect on educational and political ideas shaping education
Application procedure
The application process consists of two steps:
Step 1: Please go to online application form. Once you have filled out the application form, you will be directed to a payment page. You have the choice to complete the payment to secure your spot in the course, or you can decide to pay at a later moment. If you want to apply for multiple courses, you only need to fill out the form once.
Once we have received your application and thus your payment, the summer school team will review your application and will inform you within 5 working days if your admission is accepted or denied. In case your admission is denied then you will receive a full refund.
In the online application form you will be asked to provide the following three documents (no larger than 1 MB per document):
- Motivation letter. Please make sure to describe your motivation for the specific course(s) you apply for: Why this topic? How will the course contribute to your future (academic) career? (250-500 words)
If you apply for multiple courses, answer the questions for both courses in the same motivation letter.
Curriculum Vitae/Résumé - Transcript of records (a print screen of your most recent grades is sufficient and needs to include your name and the name of your University)
- The documents will be shared with the professors before the start of the course.
Step 2: In Spring you will be able to apply for accommodation and social programs. This registration form will be shared with all course participants on 15 April latest. They will divide the rooms and social program on a first-come-first-serve basis (the earliest you apply and pay for your course, the earlier you can select your accommodation and social program)
Early Bird Deadline: 15 March 2022 (23:59 CET)
Application deadline: 1 May 2022 (23:59 CET)
Course confirmation
Mid-May you will be informed if the course is confirmed to run. In the unfortunate case your course is canceled you will be able to move to another course (based on availability) or request a refund*.
Who can join?
- History students, with an interest in the history of education;
- Computer science students (or related subjects, such as AI or IS), with an interest in the history of their subject;
- Students in teacher training, with an interest in reflecting on educational reforms.
- Apart from Bachelor's and Master's students, we also welcome Ph.D. candidates and professionals to apply to the course.
English language requirements
It is not necessary to provide us with proof of your English. We do expect your English to be sufficient to understand classes and course literature. This means you should have at least a B2 level of English, as developed within the Common European Framework of References for Languages (CEFR). This is comparable to a TOEFL internet test with a score of 92 or an IELTS score of 6.5.
Program Tuition Fees
- VU Students, Ph.D. candidates, and employees of VU Amsterdam, or an Aurora Network Partner: €650
- Students at Partner Universities of VU Amsterdam: €900
- Students and Ph.D. candidates at non-Partner Universities of VU Amsterdam: €950
- Professionals: €1150
For further information, please click the "LINK TO ORIGINAL" button below.