The distinct value of humanities students to employers in student consultancy projects

Abstract

This case study analyzes the use by high-profile employers of the brainpower of nearly 1400 humanities undergraduates through “live” projects. At the Faculty of Humanities of Leiden University, a cohort of hundreds advises a set of public, private, and third sector organizations each year in a capstone course within the multidisciplinary Bachelor of Arts in International Studies program. In this course, aptly named PRactising International Studies (PRINS), students have, in teams, successfully consulted for employers including Google, the World Food Programme, and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Drawing on experience of designing, recruiting for, and running the PRINS course, the author offers evidence of the distinct value of humanities to practice, which is demonstrable even at the undergraduate level. The analysis entails the ex ante knowledge needs employers sought to have fulfilled by humanities students, and the ex post recommendations in their consultancies that employers have acknowledged as practically relevant. The findings indicate the potential of large-scale consultancy courses in the preparation of students for the labor market and the need for humanities graduates in future workplaces worldwide.