Course overview Encompass, year one

The BA in history

The Encompass BA-programme in History takes one academic year and offers students highly specialized language courses and history seminars. The programme is based on the ECTS-credit system in which 1 ECTS equals 28 hours of study. Thisincludespreparing for and attending classes, reading books,writingpapers, studying for tests and examsetc. One academic year is equivalent to 60 ECTS.

The year is split-up in two semesters. The first semester runs from September 2006 to January 2007, the second semester starts in February and ends in June.

The BA degree in History is awarded at the end of the academic year, if all 60 ECTS-credits are obtained. In total, 24 ECTS-credits are reserved for language courses. The other ECTS are reserved for the history seminars, exams and the BA thesis.

Diagram of the Encompass BA.

Ia / Basic language acquisition I
Intensive course
(8 ects)
Ib / Basic language acquisition II semi-intensive course
(8 ects) / Heuristics of historical text (4ects) / BA literature seminar -Exploring Asia
(6 ects) / BA Lecture series – History of the European overseas expansion
(4ects)
IIa / Basic language acquisition III reading proficiency (4 ects) / BA Literature Seminar -
Writing on Asian- European interaction (6 ects) / BA Thesis
(16 ects)
IIb / Basic language acquisition IV reading proficiency (4 ects)

The intensive language course

All students must pass the intensive language course in the first month. This is a prerequisite to continue with the Encompass BA.

The January assessment

After the first semester, the Encompass Scholarship Committee will assess the study results of the participating students. The first evaluation will take place in January, on the basis of the following documentation:

1) The results of the intensive Dutch language course

2) The written advice of the instructor of the semi-intensive Dutch language course

3) The results of the history courses

The evaluation is meant in the first place to advise the students on their progress. If the Dutch language requirements are not met, the student may be advised to return home or to finish the BA withalternative courses,in which case he or she will not be awarded a scholarship to join the Encompass MA in the second year.

In the first semester special attention is paid to the English writing skills of the students. Those students whose English is not up to standard will be requested to follow additional English language courses. These are extra-curricular courses.

The Assessment in June

A second evaluation will be held in June on the basis of the results of the full year, the quality of the BA-thesis.Further participation in the Encompass programme will be reconsidered if the study results are disappointing. To be awarded a scholarship for the Encompass MA, the Dutch language proficiency must be satisfactorily and the BA thesis should be graded on or above 7. Participation and motivation of the students in class are also taken into account.

The BA-thesis must fulfil the following requirements:

- The thesis should be based on a clear and well formulated problem and corresponding research questions. The thesis should contain about 15000 words (circa 35 pages).

- The students are expected to base the project on intensive literature study and the study of published (and/ or original) source material.

- The students are expected to engage in existing historiographic debates and their study should contribute to these debates.

- The thesis should also indicate how the subject could be expanded by further in-depth study of archival source material.

The examination committee

If astudentdisagrees with decisions made regarding examinations and grades and he/she cannot arrive at an agreement with the lecturers in question, it is possible to appeal against such decisions with the Examencommissie (Examination committee) of the History department.

Grading system

The formal description of grade values is as follows:

10 outstanding

9 excellent

8 good

7 satisfactory

6 adequate, minimum pass

5 unsatisfactory, failed

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The scholarship committee

Prof. dr. Leonard Blussé (chair)

Prof. dr. Wim van den Doel

Prof. Dr. Femme Gaastra

Dr. Jos Gommans

Prof. Charles Jeurgens

Dr. Peter Meel

Dr. Alicia Schrikker

Extra curricular activities

Students are expected to join the extracurricular activities organised by the programme, like:

-Additional English language courses

-Excursions to archives, research institutes, museums and historical spots in the Netherlands

Overview of the Encompass BA-programme in History

Type college / BA-WC
Titel / Basic Dutch language acquisition I – intensive course
Docent(en) / Drs. Y. Spaans
ECTS / 8 ects
Periode / August 20 – September 14
Voertaal / English
Onderwijsvorm / werkcollege
Beschrijving / This course teaches vocabulary, reading, grammar, and conversation at an elementary level. Moreover, there are four listening sessions a week, and also included is an introduction to some aspects of Dutch culture.
Leerdoelen / Beginners’ level, but the course is fast and very intensive. It is strongly recommended that students familiarize themselves in advance with some basic principles of Dutch. (A good knowledge of English and English grammar terms is also a prerequisite.)
Literatuur / A textbook and a workbook (Code Nederlands, part one) as well as some additional material for the listening classes will be distributed at the beginning of the course.
Toetsing / During the course, tests will take place at an elementary level. Students who pass these tests will receive a certificate. At the end of the course there will also be a listening test for which students can get an additional mark on their certificate.
Informatie / Coordinator Encompass programme Dr. A.F. Schrikker

Type college / BA-WC
Titel / Dutch language acquisition II – semi-intensive course
Docent(en) / Drs. R. Wezel
ECTS / 8
Periode / 1e semester
Voertaal / English/Dutch
Onderwijsvorm / Werkcollege
Beschrijving / Starting level: An elementary knowledge of Dutch is required.
Leerdoelen / Knowledge of grammar is repeated, and at the same time broadened, by working through a concise grammar of Dutch. Students start expanding their vocabulary with the help of vocabulary and idiom exercises. Some attention is paid to communication skills, and in the second half of the course students start reading and analysing Dutch texts.
Literatuur / Nederlands in hoofdlijnen, grammar and workbook, and Trefwoord, Woordenschatoefeningen voor anderstaligen, part one. Reading material will be handed out during the course.
Toetsing / During the course and at the end of the course, written tests for the intermediate level will take place.
Informatie / For information contact Encompass Coordinator Dr. A.F. Schrikker
Type college / BA-WC
Titel / Dutch language acquisition III – reading proficiency
Docent(en) / Drs. R. Wezel
ECTS / 4 ects
Periode / 2e semester blok 1
Voertaal / English
Onderwijsvorm / Werkcollege
Beschrijving / Starting level: an intermediate knowledge of Dutch is required.
Leerdoelen / This course focuses on reading skill, using historic texts. Students have to answer questions concerning grammar and content of the texts. (The texts are chosen depending on the results of the previous course.) The topics are discussed in Dutch (as much as possible).
Literatuur / The reading material is handed out during the course.
Toetsing / At the end of the 10 weeks term, a written test for an advanced reading level will take place, both with an old and a new text.
Informatie / For information contact Encompass Coordinator Dr. A.F. Schrikker,
Type college / BA-WC
Titel / Dutch language acquisition IV – reading proficiency
Docent(en) / Drs. R. Wezel
ECTS / 4
Periode / 2e semester blok 2,
Voertaal / Dutch/English
Onderwijsvorm / werkcollege
Beschrijving / Starting level: An intermediate knowledge of Dutch is required.
Leerdoelen / This course focuses on reading skill, using historic texts. Students have to answer questions concerning grammar and content of the texts. (The texts are chosen depending on the results of the previous course.) The topics are discussed in Dutch (as much as possible).
Literatuur / The reading material is handed out during the course
Toetsing / At the end of the 10 weeks term, a written test for an advanced reading level will take place, both with an old and a new text.
Informatie / For information contact Encompass Coordinator Dr. A.F. Schrikker
Type college / BA-HV
Titel / Heuristics of (Dutch) historical texts for the study of Non-Western societies
Docent(en) / Prof. Dr. Ch. Jeurgens
ECTS / 4
Periode / 1e semester;
Voertaal / English
Onderwijsvorm / werkcollege
Beschrijving / On the basis of various sources and articles the basic principles of archival research and historical source criticism are investigated. How do historians find relevant archival documents? In this course students will get familiar with the techniques of archival research. On finding some document which seems to pertain to his or her subject, a historian has to ask the following questions: 1) how has this document come to survive; 2) who wrote it, when, where, to whom, for what purpose, and (perhaps) at whose behest?; 3) under what circumstances was it written?; 4) what were the constraints on the writer as a result of his/her mind set and the genre within which he/she was writing?; 5) to what extent can the document be used to furnish `evidence in spite of itself', which is likely to be more reliable, because less self-serving, than that purveyed by the intentions of the author?; 6) how does the document relate to other texts, and to other types of sources (visual, material)?; 7) are there matters which pertain to the corpus as a whole which may be of importance? Each participant of the course should bring in some document which will be distributed well in advance. This document will be either peculiarly difficult or alternatively, a typical example of the problems encountered - or both. In addition recent literature related to theoretical and methodological issues is discussed.
Leerdoelen / In this course problems evoked by specific sources are discussed. Various questions are posed regarding specific sources with which the students intend to work. In this manner the sources, the authors and the context in which the texts were produced are critically assessed. This provides insight into historical source criticism.
Literatuur / Literature will be made available. Most course sessions are planned in the National Archives in The Hague.
Toetsing / The students have to make oral and written presentations related to particular sources.
Informatie / Contact Prof. Dr. Ch. Jeurgens
Or Dr. A.F. Schrikker, Encompass coordinator:
Type college / BA-sem
Titel / Exploring Asia: introduction to the history of Asian-Dutch relations
Docent(en) / Dr. A.F. Schrikker
ECTS / 6
Periode / Gehele 1e semester;
Voertaal / Engels
Onderwijsvorm / Werkcollege
Beschrijving / This course focuses on the Asian-Dutch relations between ca. 1600 – 1800. The emergence of the VOC in Asian waters, the changing nature of the Dutch presence in Asia and the various types of relationships between the Dutch and local polities and peoples are discussed. The course is meant as an introduction to the wide range of themes that can be studied relating to the Dutch presence in Asia. For this course the students are required to work on a region that is not their own, in order to broaden their perspective.
Leerdoelen / Improving the general English writing skills
Performing literature research independently
Enhancing presentation skills
The students will be introduced to the various libraries and research institutes in Leiden.
Literatuur / Femme Gaastra, The Dutch East India Company, expansion and decline (Zutphen 2003)
Els Jacobs, Merchant in Asia.the trade of the Dutch East India Company during the eighteenth century (Leiden 2006) ISBN 9057891093
Other literature is handed out in class
Toetsing / Final paper (6000 words max.) 80%
Oral presentations and participation in class 20%
Informatie / Dr. A.F. Schrikker,
Type college / BA-HC
Titel / The history of the European expansion overseas 1400 – present
Docent(en) / Prof. Dr. J.L. Blussé; Prof. Dr. P. Emmer
ECTS / 4
Periode / Gehele 1e semester;
Voertaal / Engels
Onderwijsvorm / hoorcollege
Beschrijving / European overseas expansion did not only drastically affect the non-western world and the globalisation process of trade, politics and culture. The history of North and South America is marked by the immigration of many millions of Europeans. In Africa and Asia such large scale migration was absent, but Europe influenced local societies through its colonial administrations. Now that Europe is drawn back once again within its geographic boundaries, it is possible to assess the implications of the phenomenon ‘European expansion’ at large. In these lectures we will try to answer to answer the follow questions (among others): what formed the basis of the European Expansion? What were the characteristics of the expansion under the large trading companies VOC, WIC and EIC? In what way did the 19th century imperialism differ from the early modern period of expansion? What did the process of modernization look like in the new colonial states? And nationalism? Why did the European states retreat in such great haste from their overseas territories after the Second World War? How did this affect post-war developments?
Leerdoelen / Understanding the implications of the phenomenon ‘European Expansion’ at large
Literatuur / David S. Landes, The Wealth and Poverty of Nations. Why Some are so Rich and Some so Poor (New York/Londen: W.W. Norton, 1998 and later prints)
H. Wesseling, The European colonial empires 1815 – 1919 (Harlow: Longman, 2004) ISBN13: 9780582095519
Toetsing / Written exam
Informatie / Prof. Dr. J.L. Blussé, or Dr. A.F. Schrikker, Encompass coordinator,
Type college / BA-Sem
Titel / Writing on Asian – European interaction
Docent(en) / Prof. Dr. J.L. Blussé; Dr. A.F. Schrikker
ECTS / 6
Periode / 2e semester
Voertaal / Engels
Onderwijsvorm / Werkcollege
Beschrijving / The purpose of this seminar is to guide the students in the research and writing process of their BA thesis. The students will give presentations on their subject and we will discuss the problems and progress together. In addition we will closely read and discuss different articles every week that relate to the subject of Asian-European interaction. The purpose is to introduce a wide range of themes and approaches to this aspect of the history of Asia. Each time, the students will be asked to hand in summaries or reviews of these articles.
Leerdoelen / Insight in historical controversies that relate to the European-Asian interaction.
Understanding the different ways in which historians handle (Dutch) colonial source material when writing Asian history.
Reading the work of other historians critically.
Literatuur / The articles are handed out in class
Toetsing / Participation in class, discussions and presentations 50%
Short papers and essays 50%
Informatie / Prof. Dr. J.L. Blussé, or Dr. A.F. Schrikker, Encompass coordinator,

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