From Dispute to Dialogue: Building Bridges with Language

Why study Dialogue, Health and Society?

Dialogue, Health and Society focuses on the theoretical and practical role of language in health communication and medical care. It creates a sound theoretical foundation for understanding language use in everyday and institutional contexts, called conversation analysis. But it also teaches you how to apply this theoretical knowledge to the real world.

In a world where uncertainty reigns and citizens and patients grow stronger, dialogue has become indispensable. How to have a conversation with people who oppose COVID-19 vaccination, to better understand their hesitations or objections? And when is a good time for doctors to provide visibly troubled parents with the prognostic information about their babies they so desperately want to hear? Or how to address children in families with a lower socioeconomic position to make their mealtimes more enjoyable, and if possible, healthier?

These and many other questions demonstrate a great demand for academically trained dialogue specialists in the health domain. We require insights into how to create and sustain a fruitful dialogue in health-oriented contexts, such as those between governments, experts and citizens, professionals and clients, doctors and patients. The master’s degree in Dialogue, Health and Society is aimed at tomorrow’s communication leaders and dialogue experts who will find innovative language-based solutions to solve the next health or societal crisis.

Master’s in Communication and Information Studies - Dialogue, Health and Society

Vrije University Amsterdam (VU) offers the world’s only program focused on promoting dialogue on health and societal issues, at a time when the world has been overrun by fervorous debates on essential matters of public health and safety. The Master’s track Dialogue, Health and Society is taught in English by a team of internationally-recognized scholars who, through an interdisciplinary approach to health and society, focus on diverse matters related to health and social interactions -- from doctor-patient interactions to public debates about the COVID-19 vaccination effort.

Following the master’s track in Dialogue, Health and Society provides students with a comprehensive theoretical and practical training that equips them with the means to understand the fundamental role of language in health communication in societal contexts, as well as with the skills to promote and facilitate dialogue and critically reflect on its outcome.

By combining the theoretical knowledge acquired through the program’s course curriculum and the practical experience gained through two internships, students develop creative solutions to societal problems of urgent relevance, such as vaccination, climate change, polarization, and the spread of false information. The internships, organised in collaboration with international partners, such as World Health Organization (WHO), and Dutch governmental agencies, such as the Insitute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), provide students with practical work experience in the health-oriented organizations. Alongside internships, guest lectures from international scholars and Dutch health care professionals enable students to expand their networks across multiple sectors and countries. Additionally, students with interests in pursuing a research career have the opportunity to get involved as research assistants in one of the many projects led by the academic teaching staff.

Vrije University Amsterdam

Located in the heart of Amsterdam, Vrije University is a renowned institute due to its cutting-edge research and high-quality teaching. Thousands of students from around the world choose VU each year, and currently over 30,000 students enjoy the modern Amsterdam campus, 15% of whom are international students. The campus is multicultural and societally-oriented and VU has many experienced staff prepared to offer all the necessary support for international students.

The Faculty of Humanities at the VU has internationally-renowned, award-winning researchers, including a Spinoza prize winner, the highest award in Dutch academia. Currently, 1,454 students are enrolled in Humanities programs, 28% of them being international. Through innovative pedagogical methods, the department fosters broad social engagement and cross-disciplinarity in its degrees, giving students opportunities to apply scientific knowledge both inside and outside of the classroom.

Students benefit greatly from the institution's strong connections to the university hospital and health ministries both at the municipal and national levels. Students also get to learn from faculty directly involved in consultancy and knowledge exchange with external partners such as the Public Health Service of Amsterdam (GGD Amsterdam), the Amsterdam Center for Health Communication (ACHC), and the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM).

Why Study in Amsterdam?

Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, is one of Europe's major cultural hubs and home to a well-established business network. The city is famous for its hospitality and laid-back culture and attracts thousands of students from around the world each year -- about 13% of the city's 800,000 inhabitants are students, amounting up to an international student population of 110,000.

While it is a big city with a large population, students don't need to worry about the dangers of urban life: the Dutch capital consistently ranks highly for public safety, offering students a safe and welcoming environment where they can focus on making the most of their stay. Students can also rest assured they won't find any linguistic barriers: most of Amsterdam's population speaks English, and anyone can get around easily without learning Dutch. In fact, it was recently ranked by Education First as the country without English as a native language with the highest level of English in the world.

Amsterdam is an astonishingly vibrant city. Its privileged position allows easy travel to and from the rest of the Netherlands and Europe, making it a favorite destination for travelers from all corners of the world. The popularity of the city among tourists combined with the large student population makes Amsterdam an incredibly diverse city, with great cultural and artistic attractions all year round.

Vrije University's solid programs and experienced faculty have placed the university among the world's top 250 research institutes: Times Higher Education has ranked VU as the #115 university in the world and the #8 university in the Netherlands. If you are interested in more information about the program, visit the program's website to learn more about admissions or register for the next VU Online Master's Event.

Article written in association with Vrije University Amsterdam.