University of Amsterdam · Student-Led Proposal · 2026

The World has
Changed.
Our Education
Should too.

We call on the University of Amsterdam to introduce a Global South Minor and a Chinese Studies Minor. We think it is the right next step for any university that wants its students to actually understand the world they are graduating into.

Sign the Petition

The Starting Point

UvA offers 82 Minors. Most look West.

The University of Amsterdam has 82 minors in English, including a wide range of area- and region-focused programmes.
But looking at the full picture reveals a striking imbalance.

Europe & the West: 16 regional minors

European History European Culture European Politics European Economics European Law EU Law and Politics European Politics & Global Change European Power and German Thinking East European Studies Mediterranean Studies The Netherlands in Global Context American Studies Catalan in a European Context Modern Greek Czech Polish Studies

Other regions: 3 minors

Latin American Studies Middle Eastern Studies Turkish

Not in the curriculum: 0 minors

Global South Studies ✗ Chinese Studies ✗ African Studies ✗ South / Southeast Asian Studies ✗

16 minors engage with Europe and the West. 3 reach beyond it. The regions home to over 80% of the world's population, the Global South and East Asia, have no dedicated place in the curriculum. That is what this proposal is about.

The Case

The Global South is not a Peripheral Story

6.7B People in the Global South

Over 80% of the world's population lives in the Global South. Most of what happens in the world happens there.

80%+ of Global Economic Growth

Since the early 2000s, the Global South has driven most of the world's economic growth. That is not a temporary shift.

3 Continents, One Shift

Africa, Latin America and Asia are reshaping global power, trade and culture. Europe cannot afford to look away from that.

The China Factor

China is central to every conversation that matters

China has emerged as a central actor in global affairs, with far-reaching impact across Europe, Africa, Latin America, and beyond. Understanding China is no longer optional for any student engaging seriously with economics, politics, culture, or international relations.

Largest economy in the world by purchasing power parity (PPP)
The Belt and Road Initiative spans 140+ countries across six continents
China's influence shapes diplomacy from the Sahel to the South Pacific
Europe's relationship with China defines its geopolitical future
A serious European university must engage with China critically and rigorously

#1 Largest economy by PPP

140+ Countries in the Belt & Road

The Proposal

We, the Undersigned, Call on UvA

We support the introduction of a Global South Minor and a Chinese Studies Minor at the University of Amsterdam. They are about making sure students can engage with the world as it is right now, will be, and not as it looked thirty years ago.

Universities like Duke, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Manchester, NUS or the University of Sydney already offer Chinese Studies programmes. UvA is behind on this.

By signing, you are urging UvA to take this seriously and put these minors and other options on the table.

Despite the Cuts

Budget Cuts shouldn't sideline this

Dutch higher education is facing significant budget cuts, and new programmes are an easy target. But this initiative should not be one of them.

Most of the world's technological and human development is now happening within the Global South. Understanding it is central to making sense of the 21st century. A serious institution should provide students with the tools to engage with the world as it actually is, even when budgets are tight.

Don't let the cuts kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.

Illustrative example

Flexible by Design

You don't have to take the whole minor

These minors aren't all-or-nothing. A student could take a single course from within a minor as an elective, picking up exactly the perspective they need for their own degree.

Within the Chinese Studies Minor, for example, there are courses like Belt and Road Initiative through a Global South Perspective, Chinese Financial Markets and Contemporary Chinese History. A student interested in economics could take Chinese Financial Markets as an elective, without needing to commit to the full minor.

Global Precedent

Universities that already offer these programmes

From Ivy League institutions to leading European and Asian universities, Chinese Studies and Global South minors are established offerings. UvA is behind the curve.

Chinese Studies

Harvard University Electives Natl. Univ. of Singapore Minor Cornell University Minor Univ. of Sydney Minor Princeton University Electives Columbia University Minor Univ. of Manchester Minor Duke University Minor Univ. of Washington Minor Dartmouth College Minor Leiden University Minor NC State University Minor Univ. of San Francisco Minor

Global South

Stanford University Minor Stanford - South Asia Minor UC San Diego Minor Utrecht University Minor

Behind the Proposal

Who we are

František

Lucas

We are František and Lucas, two PPLE students at the University of Amsterdam. We kept running into the same blind spots in our courses and got tired of waiting for someone else to do something about it. So we wrote this proposal. We think UvA can do better, and we hope it will.

Special Thanks

A note of gratitude

Sean

Many thanks to our dear friend Sean, who growing up in China was able to share his first hand knowledge with us. And more than assisted us with crafting a presentation, which successfully helped us launch this initiative.
Also while adding zest to it, by sharing his personal childhood stories ;)

Get in Touch

Questions or want to help?

Reach out whether you're a student, faculty member, or just someone who agrees something needs to change.

skalalehmann@gmail.com

Send us an email

Add Your Voice

Put your Name
Behind the Proposal

Students, staff, alumni, anyone. Show UvA that people actually want this.