Global citizenship starts closer to home than you might think Blog Jeroen Geurts
What does it actually mean to be a global citizen? It may sound a bit abstract, but it really is something that begins right here and now. On our campus, in the lecture theatre, in a conversation with a colleague or student who sees the world differently from you.
For me, global citizenship is about connectedness. About the realisation that your actions, however small, are always part of a bigger picture. That demands something of us. It demands curiosity, the willingness to step out of your own bubble. It demands courage, to engage in conversation, even – and especially – when it’s uncomfortable. And it demands responsibility, not to look away but to remain engaged.
“Global citizenship is a constant exercise in listening, learning and connecting."
I see this reflected every day here at VU Amsterdam. In research that does not shy away from social issues. In teaching that invites students to question their own position in the world. In collaborations that demonstrate that knowledge knows no boundaries, but does need direction.
In our institutional plan, we speak about educating global citizens. In concrete terms, this means that we do not merely teach students a subject or prepare them for a career, but also for their role in a complex world. A world in which differences do not disappear, but in which we do learn to deal with them. With openness and respect.
Global citizenship also requires us to remain critical. Of ourselves, of our institutions, of the choices we make. Who has been given a voice, and who has not (yet)? What knowledge do we recognise, and which do we unconsciously overlook? It is precisely in these questions that the way forward lies.
And perhaps that is the crux of it. Global citizenship is something we must work on continuously. A constant exercise in listening, learning and connecting. And sometimes also in daring to seek out discomfort, because something new can emerge from it.
It starts here. Perhaps with you. With the question you ask today, the conversation you engage in, or the step you take beyond what feels familiar. Because ultimately, global citizenship is nothing other than the willingness to understand the world, and one another, time and again.
Jeroen Geurts (1978) has been Rector Magnificus of VU Amsterdam since 2023. He studied neurobiology at UvA and philosophy at VU Amsterdam. He obtained his PhD at VU Amsterdam for his research into multiple sclerosis and is a professor of translational neuroscience.
magazine for social sciences and humanities alumni june 2026