History - Un/Sustainable Societies: Past, Present and Future

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 start this programme on 1 February, please contact the study advisers.