Since 2015, the American Studies Departments at Radboud University (Nijmegen, NL) and the University of Duisburg-Essen have been co-organizing a yearly spring academy for Master’s students: the Radboud University Duisburg-Essen Spring Academy (RUDESA). The goal of the Spring Academy is to “ground” American studies in a European context in in a threefold manner: first regarding the premises; second, regarding the theoretical frameworks; and third, regarding geographic dispositions and opportunities for research, case studies, and valorization. This year, for the first time in its history, RUDESA will feature an online track April, 20-23, 2026 that is open to Master students of the AURORA European University Alliance.
During RUDESA, students and instructors participate in a variety of activities that illustrate the potential of “grounding” American Studies: conduct research in museums, archives and in the field, listen to guest lectures, create and give joint presentations, and exchange views and ideas. In addition, thesis consultation sessions offer students an opportunity to discuss their Master theses with fellow students and instructors from the participating institutions in a supportive and constructive atmosphere. AURORA students participating online will work on posters to be presented in person in Nijmegen in November 2026. Thanks to our generous sponsors, RUDESA is free for all participating students.
In 2026, RUDESA will explore the path from freedom to democratization to democracy under pressure. Students taking part physically will first travel to Nijmegen to visit the Freedom Museum and the Canadian War Cemetery, where Canadian soldiers who helped to free the Netherlands and Germany during the Second World War are buried. In Essen, students will visit the city archives to discover the contribution of the Amerikahaus Ruhr to the democratization of Germany after the war. Meanwhile, Aurora students taking part online will dive into online archives and sources to investigate the Battle of the Ruhr Pocket, where American and Canadian liberation forces ended organized resistance against Allied forces on the Western Front in April 1945. RUDESA’s online component will run from April 20 until April 24. The course will meet for approximately two hours every day.
Both student groups will prepare poster presentations that profile American and Canadian liberators to document the role of North America in the liberation and democratization of Europe. These posters will then be exhibited at the annual conference of the Netherlands American Studies Association from November 4-6. Focusing on American Protest Cultures, the conference, in turn, will also discuss contemporary mobilizations against democratic backsliding.
Learning outcomes include the ability to design focused research questions, perform digital literature searches, analyze and syntthesize historical material, and present findings in front of international audience.
