Summer school 2021
The AILAS summer school is an exclu- sive and small-scale program for motivated university students and university or A level teachers. This year our lecturers offer the courses Introduc- tion to the Western Tradition and Introduction to American Ideas.
Each course is divided in parts, taught during four intensive days. The summer school will be held physically in Amsterdam.
AILAS aims at the transmission of fundamental academic knowledge and skills by studying foundations within the Western tradition. By understanding these and drawing connections between them, you will better comprehend today’s society, ideas, and developments.
- Valueable addition to your CV
- Scholarships up to 30% for university students and A level or university teachers.
- Develooping of one’s own independent judgement
- Knowledge of the ‘great works’
Participants score our course on average!
The summer school in brief
Practical information
The course will be held physically in Amsterdam. It includes coffee, tea and lunch.
Introduction & Audience
The course will focus its attention towards the ‘great works’ The course is suitable for students, university teachers, A level teachers and other professionals.
Study method
The focus of the courses is on the connections between great and fundamental works within the differen academic disciplines.
Course duration & guidance
The courses of this summer school will be given by respected teachers of the Amsterdam University College.
Summer school: Introduction to the Western Tradition
Practical information
Mr. Dr. Melvin Schut | Amsterdam University College
Mr. Gerard Versluis | University College Utrecht
- Up to 30% discount
- Maximum group size: 15 students
Due to the maximum group size of 15 people there is ample opportunity for questions and interaction. The groups are combined in terms of age, study and work experiences. On request, specific compositions are possible at sufficient notification.
Coffee, tea, lunch & study materials included
Introduction
The focus of the programme is on the connections between the works. For example, you will discover how the concept of virtue changed in meaning between Homer and Plato, and how Hobbes’ political thinking was influenced by the scientific revolution. Our teachers, attached to Dutch universities, provide insight into the lasting importance of classic works for today’s society.
The academic program of AILAS is a valueable adition to your bachelor degree or others. Our students are Bachelor and Master students, but also working professionals, as well as others with an academic degree seeking greater depth of learning. This results in mixed course groups with a unique dynamic, and an exceptional interaction and exchange of knowledge.
“In this course I have learened more than in many university coureses. Mostly because of reading primary sources … and enthusiastic and thoroughly informed teachers.”
The course consists of 4 days
Day 1 – Classical Antiquity 1
Contents: Aristotle, Homer
Day 2 – Middle Ages
Contents: Bible, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Grosseteste, Bacon, Dante
Day 3 – Early Modern Era
Contents: Bacon, Descartes, Luther, Hobbes, Huygens, Shakespeare
Day 4 – Late Modern Era
Contents: Kant, Edward Lorenz, Goethe
Summer School: Introduction to American Ideas
Practical information
Dr. Emma Cohen de Lara | Amsterdam University College
- Up to 30% discount
- Maximum group size: 15 students
Due to the maximum group size of 15 people there is ample opportunity for questions and interaction. The groups are combined in terms of age, study and work experiences. On request, specific compositions are possible at sufficient notification.
Coffee, tea, lunch & study materials included
Introduction
America is an exciting country that keeps reinventing itself in response to historical events. In academia we speak therefore of the various founding moments of the American polity. This course provides an overview of the impact of these moments on American society based on fundamental academic sources.
The course covers the first European settlement, the American Revolutionary War, the defence of the constitution, the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, as well as the influence of religion on American society. At the end of this course, you will have gained knowledge about the relationship between these matters and the current situation in America.
The course consists of 8 modules;
Module 1 – Introduction
Overview of the course
Module 2 – Jamestown / Plymouth
Beginning of the English settlement in Jamestown (1607) and arrival of Puritan separatists in Plymouth (1630)
Module 3 – Jamestown / Plymouth
War leading to the Declaration of Independence in 1776; principles of the Declaration of Independence
Module 4 – The United States Constitution
The Constitutional Convention and Defense of the Constitution in the Federalist Papers (1787-9) and Bill of Rights (1791)
Module 5 – The American Civil War
Contradictions, Slavery, and Lincoln’s Politics
Module 6 – Progressivism
Development of a modern presidency; social rights
Module 7 – Civil Rights Movement
Social and political deprivation and discrimination, civil rights movement leaders
Module 8 – Current Contradictions
Is there a culture war and tribal politics?