At the end of September, the University of Leiden will launch its second Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). This free, open-access course will offer participants around the globe an in depth analysis of (counter-)terrorism.

MOOCs & Coursera

Coursera is a free online platform which offers free courses (MOOCs) from top international universities. These MOOCs accept a limitless number of participants and are available to anyone who has internet access.

This will be the second MOOC run by Leiden University, following in the footsteps of a popular course on EU Law.

Leiden is apparently keen to begin a number of MOOCs in the coming year, with Edwin Bakker, Leiden's Professor of Terrorism and Counter-terrorism, noting that they are "a fantastic way of displaying the breadth of knowledge available in Leiden, showing that we are willing and able to serve a wide audience, and that we aim to play a pioneering role in new teaching methods."

About the course

Entitled "Terrorism and Counterterrorism: Comparing Theory and Practice", this course and its lectures will be led by Edwin Bakker. At the moment, over 16.000 participants have already enrolled for the classes.

The course content deals with thorny subjects such as the escalation of terrorism in modern times, as well as addressing the possibility of de-radicalisation. Bakker hopes to open the topic up to new perspectives by exploring the interaction between terrorism and freedom, poverty, and politics.

The itinerary consists of two segments. The first of these focuses on how terrorism functions as a social tool, while the second segment examines contemporary terrorism research (particularly prominent in the wake of 9/11).

Bakker has revealed that he is excited about the diversity of participants, stating that, "I am hoping for an international audience that is willing to engage with me in a debate on terrorism."

The classes begin September 30 and last for five weeks, calling for between four and six hours time-commitment per week.

For more info & to sign up, click here.