Honours ‘Awareness & Culture’ Specialization (HACS)

Any recent snapshot of the planet displays a kaleidoscope of human activities that are interdependent and strongly influence each other. Policy making, global economics, technological development, energy transition, ecological impact on the planet, poverty, migration and human health are all part of the same cloud of issues.

Yet, progress can only be achieved by educating specialists, from doctors to engineers as science and technology have also become extremely complex. Any specialist approach for technical education has, however, a strong drawback. Specialists tend to transform a human or societal problem, into a technical problem for which they will try to find a solution. Such an approach is potentially limiting and appropriate solutions to exclusive technical problems could easily create new social, ecological or global problems. 

A better understanding of limitations and potential undesired impact of new technologies on our complex world is therefore necessary in technical education. As for science and technology, “making art or experiencing art also produces knowledge”. A different kind of, but yet, necessary knowledge. Art activities provoke the so-called “individuation processes” where unconscious knowledge or impressions become conscious. When coupled to societal or technological challenges, Art activities provide original insight, questions and eventually very original solutions. Such Art processes allow students to better connect to themselves, to better identify social or environment biases and to better connect to the world in an empathic way. 

All courses of HACS make use of art at various levels and are described below. 
 

The specialization is composed of four compulsory courses of 5 ECTS each, each one exhibiting its own approach and involvement level with Art. The specialization consists of:

Art, Empathy & Ethics (UD1077): Making art as a contemporary artist, you will develop your own original ethical debatable question coupled to a final art project. The course is embedded in Visual and Performing Arts, group discussions and weekly individual art assignments. The theme of this year is “Connectivity”.
[Responsible teacher: e.mendes@tudelft.nl), Eduardo.]

Matter of Art (UD1079): Working in mixed groups with art students from the Interfaculty Art & Science of the Royal Academy of Arts (The Hague) you will be challenged to set unforeseen requirements to new materials or new technologies, focusing on the multiple interpretations, importance and impact of new technologies. This year, we will focus on the interdependence of our species, technologies, economies and activities to the biosphere. The course is embedded in Conceptual Art. 
[Responsible teacher: e.mendes@tudelft.nl), Eduardo.]

The Laboratory of Science Fiction (UD1080): The course focuses upon the very frontiers of life science and technology, and the (re-)definition of what it means to be human. It is embedded in various Art Media related to Science Fiction and Literature (creative writing) as students will create their own Science-Fiction narrative. Through the writing process, critical reflection, ethical debates and philosophical theory, students investigate (future) moral and existential issues that may arise as a result of emerging technologies.
[Responsible teacher: (M.Astola@tudelft.nl), Mandi.]

Bildung  (UD1078): This is a cultural and questioning journey where students are encouraged to explore and deepen the potency of their individual interests and natural talents to become an open-minded resilient young professional. Students are challenged to think beyond the field of engineering to create their own vision on engineering and personal life in a dynamically changing society. Embedded in Culture through Art, the course includes a cultural immersive trip. 
[Responsible teacher: (B.J.E.deBruin@tudelft.nl), Birgit.]
 

1. Each faculty set their own entry requirements and selection procedure to determine which of their students are eligible to participate in the Honours Program Bachelor (HPB) and how they can apply for a place. 
2. Once you have been selected by your faculty, you can apply for the full HACS comprising all four courses, to be completed in 2 years.
3. Please send your application to E. Mendes (e.mendes@tudelft.nl) with cc: Sanne Goudriaan (hpd@tudelft.nl) via email with the subject of the email being “Application Honours Awareness and Culture Specialization”. 
4. The email shall contain the following: Application letter (max 1/2 A4)
5. The deadline for season 2023-24 is 9 October 2023
6. Only 20 places available
7. Note: Places available on individual HAC courses: If you are not following the full ‘Awareness & Culture’ Specialization, but would like to take one or more courses for the interfaculty part of your Honours Programme, you can do so by applying for the selection procedure for the individual courses. In this case, write a motivation paragraph directly to the responsible teacher (see above on “HACS Program Content) with cc to Sanne Goudriaan (HPD@tudelft.nl) and use the message subject: MOTIVATION LETTER “name of course”
8. PhD students who would like to participate as part of their Doctoral Education are also welcome and should apply with same procedure as Honours students.