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Dear Diana,

Like most of our incredible Brandeis students, I am sure you have a very wide variety of interests. Brandeis draws leading researchers from around the world who want to teach students like you, dedicated to making a difference in the world, and impatient to begin applying what you learn. Our coursework matches that ethic, with prominence in cultural diversity, identity, social inequality, education, globalization, health and communications, just to name a few. You will join programs known across the country and throughout the world for pioneering new ways of seeing, understanding, and teaching about social programs and social justice.

I teach at Brandeis because the combination of amazing students, strong values, and supportive atmosphere give me the flexibility to conduct courses unlike those offered anywhere else. I recently taught a course that combines the best elements of the social sciences and the arts, a course exploring a historical crisis through the class development of a play about the subject. Almost 40 years ago two Brandeis students were placed on the FBI most wanted list. This is a highly emotional and politically charged issue, and one I don’t believe could be easily explored at most campuses, and certainly not in an undergraduate seminar of this kind. We even brought one of those alumna to the class – a first of its kind educational experience.

I tell you with confidence that this kind of opportunity is not unique to my classroom or department – it is indicative of what you will find in every aspect of your Brandeis academic experience. In the Brandeis-in-the-Hague program you study in the historic Dutch city that has become a modern symbol in the search for global justice. You explore first-hand how international courts confront a range of global problems; meeting with judges, advocates, and academic specialists for a broad survey of the international legal process. You have direct access to major tribunals sitting in The Hague; including the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court, the Peace Palace, and special war-crimes tribunals. You also connect with research centers working on a variety of global issues; including ethnic violence, national and regional reconciliation, economic development, environmental policy, social rights, and responsive governance.

American Studies major Nathan Koskella spent a summer in the Hague and noted: “At Brandeis in The Hague I had the time of my life. It epitomizes everything about why I chose to come to Brandeis--the fantastic professors, the opportunity to combine both academic and practical experience, and the critical social mission. I really started learning what it is I want to do with my life in The Hague, and Brandeis is the place where I can make that a reality.”

Closer to home, undergraduate students in the Environmental Studies program worked with their professor to conduct a landmark study on the toxic air quality in and around nail salons. Their work has garnered tremendous national attention, allowing them the opportunity to present their findings at a national research conference, a slot usually reserved for professors and doctoral candidates!

Just as impressive, two undergraduates majoring in Peace, Conflict and Coexistence won the 2012 Davis Peace Prize. Their project, “Engaging Hands and Minds: Empowerment through Peer Education in Zimbabwe,” was given $10,000 for those Brandeis students to put their ideas into action this summer.

For those of you with the passion and talent, there simply is no better place. We invite you to join us in exploring deeper questions as you embark on your academic career.

With very best wishes,

Joyce Antler
Samuel B. Lane Professor of American Jewish History and Culture and Women's and Gender Studies