On 13 October 2018, Dr. Martijn Huysmans and first-year student Madelene de Leeuw hosted a live webinar on the PPE Bachelor's programme. Did you miss it? Don't worry, you can watch the recording on the PPE Webinar Page.
Why are populist political parties becoming increasingly popular? Is this a bad development? Do we have an obligation to save the natural environment for future generations? How has migration developed, and how has it contributed to shaping health care and education policy over time? What would the economic effects be if we gave all citizens a national basic income?
Though it is possible to answer complex questions like these, it is definitely not easy. To help solve our world’s biggest challenges, we need experts who are able to look at societal issues from various perspectives. Our new Bachelor of Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) meets this need. The programme provides high-level, intensive training for students who are eager to find solutions to the world’s most pressing problems.
The PPE programme at Utrecht University considers political and economic issues from four different perspectives: philosophy, politics, economics and history. The addition of a historical dimension to PPE is something you will only find in Utrecht, where we are convinced that understanding the past will help us make better choices for the future. As well as gaining thorough knowledge of each of these four fields, you will also be trained to combine them to address the world’s most challenging problems. At Utrecht University, we believe that this is the best approach to designing complete and effective solutions.
One issue you could choose to delve into is privacy. How should governments deal with protecting citizens’ privacy while at the same time combating terrorism? Should they monitor everyone’s Internet use to increase the chances of catching terrorists? To answer these and related questions, you need knowledge of diverse scientific disciplines. Philosophy can help you decide whether it is ethical to trade in personal privacy for safety. Politics helps you understand the role of governments, which have the power to take decisions that impact both privacy and safety and concern the population as a whole. Economics clarifies the costs and benefits of adopting a specific privacy policy. And history teaches us how societies have dealt with these complex dilemmas in the past, providing lessons for the future.
