European Studies on Society, Science and Technology

The emergence of new technologies – such as social media platforms, corona apps, robotics, and sustainable energy resources – opens up both opportunities and threats to modern societies and economies. Citizens, governments, businesses and universities face great challenges when trying to take advantage of the seemingly infinite opportunities of scientific and technological innovations, not least because of the unintended consequences that often accompany them.

Convinced that innovation cannot be captured by economics alone and that a purely technical approach is not enough to understand today’s knowledge society, ESST approaches scientific and technological development from a multidisciplinary perspective. The programme explores the interrelated worlds of the scientist, engineer, politician, and citizen by examining the values, economics, history, and politics of modern innovation. Furthermore, its global, culturally sensitive and environmentally conscious angles help you develop ethical awareness and public responsibility.

What will you learn?

In this programme, you will:

• Get insights into controversial areas and acquire knowledge of the research methodologies needed to study debates, policies, and the underlying assumptions about the relationships between science, technology and society
• Become adept at looking at issues from a variety of perspectives
• Learn how to tackle complex ideas, which are indispensable to real-world problem solving
• Become a ‘systematic thinker’ so you can build bridges between different parties involved in a given situation

Multidisciplinary approach

The ESST programme offers an integrated curriculum that is based on disciplines such as philosophy, anthropology, innovation studies, sociology, sustainability studies, history, feminist theory, risk analysis, evolutionary economics, and systems development and design. This approach is essential to the programme because:

• Innovation and technological change are not merely technical or engineering matters; they're social processes
• Political, economic and cultural processes shape the evolution of technology
• The application and spread of new innovations also involve social, economic and political decisions
• Scientific and technological innovations have impact on society

ESST will give you a broad theoretical foundation and will teach you how to build bridges between disciplines, something that will valuable later on in your career.

Analytical focus

The analytical focus of ESST is on:

• Political and cultural analysis of the modern knowledge society
• Social and economic analysis of different cultures of innovation
• Ethical reflection on scientific and technological development

Specialisations

You can choose from a number of specialisations that you can take at Maastricht University or abroad.
  View the specialisations

Combine your thesis with an internship

Internships give you practical experience that enhances your studies and increases your employability. Most specialisations of this programme allow you to combine research activities with an internship. For example, with Maastricht University, you can do an internship at the Rathenau Institute in The Hague. The Rathenau Institute promotes the formation of political and public opinion on science and technology by studying the organisation and development of science and technology systems, publishing about the social impact of new technologies, and organising debates on issues and dilemmas in science and technology.

Write your thesis abroad

The European Studies on Society, Science and Technology programme is a joint master with 13 universities in 13 countries. You can select a specialisation offered by one of these universties and use the second semester to move to the corresponding university, follow a course on your specialisation topic and write your master’s thesis there.

Teaching methods

ESST is taught using an advanced version of the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) method in which learning is achieved through active participation in academic discussions and by doing research. In all stages of the curriculum, you will be trained in formulating research questions, developing strategies for investigating those questions, evaluating the results of your enquiries and presenting them in a media format suited to the subject of the module (essay, oral presentation of field data, historical analysis, etc.).

You will be taught through lectures, projects, skills trainings where you learn by doing, presentations from your fellow students on their work, and site visits to relevant institutions. You will also participate in seminars, which are guided by a tutor, where you discuss key questions related to the reading with your fellow students. Round table meetings where you can present your progress on your thesis as well as give and receive feedback from your fellow students will also provide valuable insights.