The Netherlands is a migration society and that affects the economy, housing, education, care, safety, among other things. How do the professionals working in these domains deal with this? To this end, the Perspectives on the Migration Society course was set up by the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Centre Governance of Migration and Diversity.
Thanks to the multidisciplinary approach, the students gain knowledge from various disciplines of Leiden University, TU Delft and Erasmus University Rotterdam, such as public administration, sociology, law, urban planning and development studies.
The first cohort of students successfully completed the program this spring. During the year, they worked on scientific theories and applied them to issues from their own field of work. The meetings integrated historical, urban, policy and future-oriented perspectives, alternately online and on location at the three LDE universities.
Participants worked together with scientists and experts by experience to deepen their understanding of the theme and their own professional perspective, concluding with a practice-oriented essay and final presentations.
The reactions were very positive. Participants emphasized the direct relevance of the academic content to their professional practice and recognized the added value of exchanging experiences with colleagues from diverse organizational contexts.
The course is an inspiring and up-to-date course for anyone who wants to better understand migration issues. Complex themes are clearly explained. Themes such as policy and social developments, but also themes such as the history of migration and the influence of migration on the housing market. This allows me to always link them to my own practice. It is precisely this strong connection with my field of Asylum & Migration at a municipality that makes the course so valuable: what you learn, you can apply immediately. Educational, in-depth and at the same time very practical.' - Krista Nieborg, Municipality of Zeewolde.
This course is a breath of fresh air for me. Being able to step out of daily practice for a while and listen to scientific experts who provide in-depth knowledge of the field in which I work provides new insights. The combination of that knowledge with conversations with other professionals from the field makes the course particularly valuable.' - Maarten Keppels, COA.
The second edition of the course will start in November 2026 and run until May 2027. Professionals working in the field of migration and diversity who want to deepen their knowledge and expand their network can register for the course via the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Centre Governance of Migration and Diversity.
