Bridging Gaps 2021 takes off
After two years of waiting, we have finally taken off: at the end of August, students from all over the world started their three-month Bridging Gaps programme in Amsterdam. Because the world is still in the middle of a pandemic, it was unclear if everyone would be able to make the trip to the Netherlands, but since mid-September, the group is all here.
Lectures and visits
The first church visits have been made, the students have been to various denominations and have, among other things, had a tour through the center of Amsterdam with Amsterdam Underground.
Fortunately, the majority of lectures can take place on campus again, something that plays an important role in the interaction with fellow students. In addition, some of the students are taking a course this year at the Foundation Academy in Amsterdam South-East. The lectures, the interaction with fellow students, as well as the visits outside the university provide a range of experiences for the students.
Connecting
The first month of the programme is now over. In the coming weeks, the students will be working hard on their research and, of course, a few more visits are planned. We will visit the Foundation Academy and a visit to the Wereldmuseum in Rotterdam is scheduled. The students will also visit churches throughout the Netherlands. And because of the contacts they make, they'll also venture out on their own: some students will be leading a church service, for instance; others are invited to people's homes.
Paper presentations on November 18
In addition to the visits and lectures, the students will also have to work to complete a paper at the end of the programme. The students will present the results of their research in mid-November. You are most welcome to join these presentations on November 18!
If you would like to know more, please contact Kirsten van der Ham (k.van.der.ham@pthu.nl) or Geke van Vliet (c.m.van.vliet@student.vu.nl).
About Bridging Gaps
In the Bridging Gaps programme students from Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America come to Amsterdam. In a three-month program (September to November), they come into contact with the Dutch and each other's context and as a result learn to look at their own context in a different way.
