HHP alumna speaks out

Dear HHP students,

In the early days of November, about a month ago, news broke about the future of the Humanities Honours Programme. To the disappointment of students and teachers alike, that future isn’t looking too bright, seeing as the HHP might disappear along with several faculties as part of the UU’s budget cuts (you can read more about this decision via this link: DUB: misschien geen facultair honoursonderwijs meer voor uu bachelorstudenten).

Humanities Honours alumna Emma Tiggelaar, however, firmly rejects this proposal in an opinion article on the website of DUB, stating that the UU will betray their own core values as a university in removing the HHP from their curriculum. In her article she mentions among other reasons that the university’s code of conduct clearly mentions a few aspirational goals. These include conducting groundbreaking research, forging interdisciplinary connections and educating a new generation of researchers. Anyone who has participated in or has come into contact with the HHP can undoubtably recognize some of these statements, as these also make up the core of what the HHP is all about; a wonderful asset to the UU’s curriculum, and a true loss for the university should it be discontinued.

In her article she also dives into the inclusive and symbolic aspects of the HHP among other arguments; an interesting read for sure, especially for anyone concerned about the fate of the HHP. In case you’re interested, you can read the full article by following this link: DUB: het schrappen van honoursprogrammas is in strijd met kernwaarden van de uu

We thank Emma for her support and showing so clearly what the Humanities Honours Programme is all about!