General Information
| Course Code | W_ABM_CTB |
|---|---|
| Credits | 0 EC |
| Period | P4+5 |
| Course Level | 100 |
| Language of Tuition | English |
| Course Coordinator | M. Pavicevic MSc |
| Examiner | prof. dr. G.J. Buijs |
| Teaching Staff |
prof. dr. G.J. Buijs |
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Part of programme(s)
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Practical Information
You need to register for this course yourself. The (de)registration deadlines can be found on VU.nl
Late placement is not possible for this course.
| Teaching Methods | Seminar, Study Group* |
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*You cannot select a group yourself for this teaching method, you will be placed in a group.
Target audiences
This course is also available as:
Course Objective
The Broader Mind Course is an extracurricular, interdisciplinary course focused on your personal development in relation to challenging societal issues. In small groups of bachelor students from diverse disciplines and VU faculties, you will meet in person to explore and discuss issues you may already be encountering in your life – or may face in your future career. You will practice and develop key social and academic skills essential for both personal and societal transformation; competencies that are highly valued in today’s workplace.
You will grow not only as a person, but also as both a citizen and an academic.
Among the skills that you will practice are:
- Communication (public speaking, presenting your own opinion, active listening, debating).
- Cooperation (working in interdisciplinary groups).
- Problem solving and innovation (conflict resolution, challenging existing ideas, creating original solutions).
- Ability to deal with complexity and ambiguity (self-introspection, empathy, perspective taking, mediation).
What is in it for you? - Earn a Certificate and Edubadge to boost your CV and personal leadership.
- Sharpen your critical and creative thinking with real-world challenges.
- Reflect on your beliefs and how they shape your worldview.
- Listen to diverse perspectives and engage with disagreement constructively.
- Explore new ways of thinking through dialogue, reflection and imagination.
- Connect with curious minds and broaden your view of the world and yourself.
The course load can be easily combined with your regular study program as the work loads consists of about 2 hours of work per week on average, while it runs in periods 4 and 5 (except during exam and assessment weeks). All in all, very manageable, and all the more exciting given how impactful those 2 hours can be!
Course Content
To accommodate your personal interests, the Broader Mind Course is offered in two ‘editions’, called ‘tracks’. Each track consists of four themes. Each theme spans three weeks and combines online and on-campus activities in a blended learning format.
Step 1: Choose a Theme Track
• Track A: Success & Failure, Poverty, Human Body, Rebellion
• Track B: Health & Happiness, Digital World, Viewpoints & Worldview, Sustainability
Step 2: Explore the Themes online and offline
• Online: You will watch videos, read articles, and complete challenges.
• Offline: You will participate in discussions, creative assignments, and activities.
The language of instruction is English.
Additional Information Teaching Methods
Your personal group guide will facilitate discussions and meetups, provide feedback on your assignments, and support you throughout the course. You will engage in a range of real-life activities, simulations, and educational games – in short, learning through experience – while also having a great opportunity to meet new people.
10 on-campus sessions either on Tuesdays or Wednesdays (17:30-19:30).
Online assignments completed at your own pace.
Study load: ± 2 hours per week (40 hours in total).
The course runs from February to June 2027 (Periods 4 and 5, excluding exam weeks).
Method of Assessment
The course is assessed on a pass/fail basis. To pass the course, you must:
- Attend and actively participate in at least 7 out of 10 on-campus meetups.
- Complete at least 6 out of 8 small online assignments, as well as all three reflection/creative assignments.
After successfully completing the course, you will receive a certificate of participation and the course will be included on your diploma supplement.
To qualify for the Edubadge, you must:
- Attend and actively participate in at least 8 out of 10 on-campus meetups.
- Complete all 8 small online assignments and all three reflection/creative assignments.
Literature
Background information on the various themes, along with online assignments are provided on Canvas.
In addition, a wide range of references is included for those who wish to explore the topics in greater depth.
Additional Information Target Audience
The course is interdisciplinary, and therefore open to all Bachelor’s students (first to third year) from all VU faculties and study programs. The course is designed at the BA level. However, Honours and Master’s students are also welcome to participate.
The Broader Mind Course is specially designed as an extracurricular activity, and is also integrated as a core component in some study programs.
Additional Information
Last year’s students share their 9 reasons to follow the Broader Mind Course in this video.
Website: https://vu.nl/en/student/extra-challenge/broader-mind-course
Questions? Contact us at: broadermindcourse@vu.nl
Custom Course Registration
Enrol via the VU dashboard. Enter the course code or the name of the course in the registration module (via: Plan course > All courses > Search in extracurricular courses).
1. Select the track you would like to follow and sign up:
Track A (W_ABM_CTA): Success & Failure, Poverty, Human Body and Rebellion.
Track B (W_ABM_CTB): Health & Happiness, Digital World, Viewpoints & Worldview and Sustainability.
2.Choose whether you would like to be part of a group on one of two different weekdays: Tuesdays or Wednesdays.