Sarah reflects on 2024
With the holiday season approaching, the perfect moment for a short reflection and a lot of appreciation has come. Let me first start by trying to answer a crucial question for our faculty: what role do the social sciences play in our current time?
Higher education and the role of universities are under scrutiny, and we are confronted with crucial questions about our future in the Netherlands. Recent political debates about internationalization and the focus of universities touch on the core of our existence. It is in this context that we must ask ourselves: how can we better demonstrate our unique value?
In these discussions, simplistic solutions are sometimes proposed for complex issues. Voices are raised for "more modest universities" and a shift towards STEM disciplines, while questioning the value of social sciences and humanities. This rhetoric, however, underestimates our crucial role in shaping the generation of the future. We cultivate understanding of different perspectives, prepare students for a changing world, and stimulate innovation through cross-pollination.
It is our task to provide students with the tools to face the future with confidence and insight. As global citizens capable of building bridges and approaching problems from multiple angles, this is the kind of leadership our society needs - and this is precisely what we as the Faculty of Social Sciences stand for.
As the holiday period approaches, I want to thank you all for your dedication and hard work this year. I hope you take the coming weeks to relax and recharge. Enjoy the holidays with your loved ones and return inspired for the new year. Together we continue to build a faculty that is not only relevant but also indispensable for the challenges of our time. On behalf of the entire faculty board, I wish you all happy holidays and a prosperous 2025!
