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Dear students,
A warm welcome to Utrecht ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ’s honours programmes. 

Your participation in honours education reflects something essential—not only ambition or academic excellence, but above all, curiosity. The willingness to look beyond the prescribed curriculum, to ask questions that may not yet have answers, to approach the unknown not with hesitation but with eagerness. It is precisely that mindset that lies at the heart of our honours education.

Within our honours community, we do not view learning as a linear path measured only in credits and exams. Instead, learning is a journey of discovery, full of unexpected turns. It is a process in which wonder is just as valuable as knowledge, and in which frustration or doubt are not obstacles but catalysts for new ideas. Here, we explicitly invite you to embrace those responses and put them to use. Your intuitions, questions, and fascinations are not side notes—they are the driving force of meaningful learning.

This applies not only to students, but to us as teachers as well. In honours education, we consciously move away from the traditional idea of the teacher as evaluator or knowledge provider. We see ourselves as co-researchers, as facilitators accompanying you on a journey whose outcome we do not always know in advance. That reciprocity makes our interaction authentic. Your energy inspires us just as much as our guidance supports you. This dialogue—this creative exchange—is what makes honours education so vibrant.

Equally important is that you are given space to search—and sometimes to get lost. Not every path needs to lead directly to the right answer. Sometimes it is the detours that bring the greatest insight. An environment in which experimentation is allowed, where mistakes are seen as progress rather than failure, is not only more productive but also more humane. We aim to foster a climate in which curiosity matters more than perfection, and growth more than judgment.

In this light, honours education is not only about intellectual challenge, but also about well-being. We believe that learning should be joyful—even moving. When you realise that your ideas matter, that your voice is heard, that your contribution can spark something new, a deep sense of agency emerges. You discover that you are not only capable of acquiring knowledge but of creating it. That awareness may well be the most valuable outcome of this programme.

Finally, you are at the beginning of a journey that is not only academic, but personal and social as well. You will cross disciplinary borders, encounter new perspectives, and forge friendships that may last a lifetime. My invitation to you is simple: be bold in your questions, generous in your collaboration, and curious in all things.

On behalf of the entire honours team, I warmly welcome you to this community of seekers, thinkers, and makers. Let us discover together what happens when we do not avoid the unknown but embrace it.

With pride and enthusiasm,

Stephanie Rosenkranz
Honours Dean 
Utrecht ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ