Utrecht University – (BA) The Great Divergence. Why Some Countries Prosper and Others Don’t (2021-2022)

This course provides an overview of different ideas as to why some countries have flourished and others have failed to do so. Students practice their analytical and presentation skills through the presentation of a major work in the field of the study of the Great Divergence.

Start: 9 September 2021

Utrecht University (BA) – Grote vragen, big data. Onderzoek naar samenlevingen in transitie // Big questions, big data. Research on societies in transition (2021-2022)

This course familiarizes first-year history students with quantitative research as well as with the use of (large) historical datasets. Students will work in small groups to write their own research reports, in which they analyse a particular economic or social historical development in a geographical location of their choice based on quantitative data. The mandatory literature and lectures are intended to inspire students’ own research. These show how other historians answer their research questions by using quantitative analyses, and what the benefits and pitfalls of such methods are. The lectures and articles also link to relevant debates on one of the most influential historical changes in society: the process of industrialization and its economic, social and ecological consequences.

Start: 25 April 2022