‘I’m sure I’ll gain a broader perspective on the context of international relations from a legal standpoint’

Wouter’s ambition is to work with refugees after his studies. The International Law & Relations programme gives him knowledge and skills in human rights and the geopolitical context, which will serve him well in this respect.

‘I’m a Social Work student at Hanze UAS, aspiring to work with refugees. I have a major interest in world history and in current global relations. This programme has a partial focus on human rights and the geopolitical context of how we as a species deal with these matters. I believe the challenge of dealing with refugees will only become greater in the coming decades, due to developing conflicts and climate change. I hope to be able to play a small part in the handling of these issues, despite not having any prior experience in law.

Through this programme, I hope to gain a deeper understanding of the legal background of current international cooperation. I’m sure I’ll gain a broader perspective on the context of this field and it might perhaps be the beginning of a new specialisation. The subject I’m looking forward to most is Human Rights, as it focuses on the field of law I aspire to work in most of all. So far, I’ve enjoyed the subjects on international cooperation most as they’ve given me new insights and they tie in with my interest in current affairs.

I’ve also really enjoyed the fact that the programme itself is international, as working in diverse groups can be a great experience. My advice to other students would be: don’t be too afraid to pick a programme that covers topics that are new to you. If something interests you greatly, there will most likely be a way to integrate this into your current degree programme, career or life as a whole.’