Netherlands: Navigating New Worlds

How did the discovery of new worlds reshape Europe? This GE study abroad program explores how encounters with new peoples, ideas, and environments transformed European culture, science, and society from the age of exploration through the modern era. Through literature, art, history, and postcolonial theory, students will examine the cultural legacies of empire, race, migration, and national identity, while considering how Europe was shaped not only by its colonies, but also by the peoples and cultures it encountered around the globe.

At the same time, students will investigate the history of science in the Netherlands, Belgium, and France through museums, monuments, historic sites, and hands-on field experiences. Using these places as a living classroom, we will explore how developments in navigation, astronomy, chemistry, engineering, and environmental science influenced the rise of modern Europe and were themselves shaped by broader cultural, political, and ethical debates. Based primarily in Amsterdam, the program also includes extended travel throughout Belgium and France.

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