Why the minor Aid and Development has been cancelled

For the first time in fifteen years, the International Aid and Development minor is cancelled. The reason: only five students enrolled. How can that be?

‘It’s extremely disappointing. Last year, interest was a little less than usual, but we were not really worried. This year only five students wanted to enrol. Just five, that’s very painful.’
Jonathan Tipping, who has coordinated the International Aid and Development (IAD) minor for the last five years, is having a hard time with the idea that his minor cannot go ahead. This pill may also be hard to swallow for the entire Hanze University of Applied Sciences because IAD fits perfectly with their motto share your talent, move the world. If you use this slogan to attract students, you would expect this minor to appeal to many more than a handful of students.

This must be a big disappointment for those five students, what will they do now?
‘This year they will have to choose another minor. I also drew their attention to the annual Summer School of the Hanze East Africa Hub. Through that initiative, they can also contribute to our projects in East Africa. So they have a few options left.’

Why do you think interest in the minor has declined?
‘The minor has always been popular. We never had to use any additional marketing. So something has changed, but what is the big question. Some practical challenges certainly play a role. Students have to spend the last two months of the minor in a country overseas. The cost of this trip has increased significantly in recent years. Flying has become far more expensive and living costs in these developing countries are also a lot higher than a few years ago.’

That doesn’t stop a idealist student, does it?
‘No, but the high costs may be a turn-off. It’s probably a threshold just high enough for them to choose another minor. There are more and more minors at Hanze each year, so the competition has also increased. The majority of students tend to choose a minor from their own school. We are a multi-disciplinary minor, which has a positive aspect as you meet and collaborate with students from different programmes. However, the downside is there is less promotion and feedback within the schools themselves.’

Does the minor content match with current students’ wishes?
‘That’s a very difficult question. For our overseas projects, we have tried to exclude any form of voluntourism. Voluntourism has become a huge industry, especially for students wanting an experience in a developing country. For example, you can work in an orphanage with children who are not actual orphans at all. The parents get paid for letting their child stay at such an orphanage. As you can imagine, this is harmful to such children.
‘Volunteers have no idea that they, and those they are trying to help, are being exploited. The organisations behind this industry are sophisticated and it is often difficult to get the full picture. For this reason, we decided to partner with the Hanze East Africa Hub to work with partner organisations who we know and have long-term partnerships with. So our minor does not cater for those students who are determined to go to places like Bali for their volunteering experience.’

That sounds like they consider the personal experience more important than the work of the charity.
‘As I said, student volunteers don’t realize that some organisations are only in it for the money. They have no idea what they are doing could be harmful.
‘Another reason for the reduced interest in international development could also match the changing views in society as a whole. There is an increased anxiety and doubt about the whole idea of progress in Western societies about their future role in the world. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, optimism was everywhere; the world would only get better. We believed anything was possible. An end to poverty, more democracy worldwide and good healthcare for all, everything seemed within reach. Globalisation was a positive word.
‘Nowadays the negative aspects of globalisation have taken centre-stage. Global inequality and environmental destruction are seen as the inevitable consequences. Multinational corporations are now so powerful that they are able to evade tax and environmental regulations. I get the impression that young people feel they have little influence over global powers and forces.
‘And let us not forget the impact that COVID, a pandemic caused by globalisation, has had on society, especially young people. It could well be that those lost years have influenced how students view the world and their ideas of international development.’

Moreover, the Dutch cabinet is not a fierce defender of international aid and development.
‘That is true. The current political climate is very negative towards such issues. I think this is a great opportunity for educational institutions, like Hanze, to make a difference and stand for its international values and heritage. We must speak out loud that international collaboration is a force for good and not something to be feared. The updated Hanze Internationalisation policy and the work of the Hanze East Africa Hub are examples that our university is willing to take these issues seriously. However I think more can be done to embed internationalisation topics in the regular programmes and not simply include as an add-on. But the most important thing for us as an IAD team is to think about next year’s course and how we can encourage as many students to apply.’

Will the minor International Aid & Development be scheduled next year?
‘Yes. We are planning to run the minor next year. Interested students will be able to enrol in May.’

Foto: Andreea Luta