On May 13 2019 Utrecht University has launched a new MOOC  ‘Professionalism in an era of change’. The MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) offers a retrospective and prospective view of the changing work of professionals in modern neoliberal society. You can find the MOOC on Coursera.

The course offers an overview of how information technology, the rise of managerialism, and societal, cultural and demographic changes have affected the work of professionals and how this forces them to respond. In addition to an in-depth understanding of these challenges, a roadmap is set for a different perspective, a paradigm shift and a way forward.

Researchers of the interdisciplinary research focus area ‘Professional Performance’ of Utrecht University have developed the MOOC, lead by Nicole Mastenbroek, coordinator of the focus area.  The course consists of web lectures, interviews, case studies and articles. By means of peer-reviewed assignments, participants are invited to apply the offered knowledge directly in their own work environment. The scope of the course changes from a macro to a micro perspective, from a sociological and historical view on societal developments to the perspective on change of the individual professional.

We hope that the participants in this course will develop a broader understanding of the work of and interaction with professionals. The MOOC went live on May 13 2019 and can be found on Coursera, platform for free online courses worldwide.

With its MOOCs, Utrecht University intends to promote the University and its strategic themes internationally, to create expertise in new forms of education, and to make education more widely available. This is also why Educate-it facilitates these MOOCs, each of which is connected to one of the university’s strategic themes or focus areas.