Open-Source Global Justice Investigations Lab
Institution:
Utrecht UniversityCountry:
The NetherlandsDiscipline:
InterdisciplinaryLevel:
BA, MADuration & intensity:
20 weeksNumber of students:
45Societal need addressed
Inequality and injustice in a broad context
Key competences for Democratic Culture
- Valuing democracy, justice, fairness, equality and the rule of law
- Knowledge and critical understanding of the world
- Responsibility
About the course
The Open Source Global Justice Investigations Lab at Utrecht University brings students from different disciplines together with leading societal partners to investigate real-world human rights, environmental, and conflict-related challenges. Students learn how to identify, collect, verify, and analyze open-source information, including social media content, satellite imagery, videos, photographs, and other digital material. They then apply these skills in interdisciplinary teams working on projects developed together with professional partners. Partners have included Airwars, Bellingcat, Free Press Unlimited, the Financial Times, WITNESS, PAX, the Conflict and Environment Observatory, and Friends of the Earth Netherlands. Projects have ranged from investigating arms trafficking and environmental harm to documenting civilian casualties and threats against journalists. Student research has contributed to professional investigations, databases, advocacy, and published journalism.
Students develop critical digital literacy alongside communication, teamwork, ethical reasoning, and civic responsibility. At the same time, societal partners gain meaningful research support and contribute directly to educating a new generation of critically engaged global citizens capable of using digital technologies responsibly in the pursuit of global justice.
How are Competences for Democratic Culture developed?
The Lab is built around reciprocity. Partners do more than provide cases for students to work on. They help shape research questions, share professional expertise, mentor students, and provide feedback. Students, in turn, contribute time, skills, disciplinary perspectives, and investigative capacity to work that responds to partners’ actual needs. This creates a learning environment in which students experience the opportunities, responsibilities, uncertainties, and setbacks of professional collaborative work.
Reflection is central throughout the course. Students critically examine their positionality, ethical responsibilities, teamwork, relationships with partners, and the potential harms associated with investigating distant communities and distressing material. Training in trauma- and resilience-informed practices supports students in developing sustainable ways of working.
The result is an educational model that connects academic knowledge, digital investigation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and community engagement.
Overall, the lab has given me the privilege to learn about Open-Source Investigations, Open Source tools, partner collaboration, and teamwork but, most importantly, has given the opportunity to know myself better, to push my boundaries and get out of my (legal) comfort zone, to reaffirm my values and to fight my own biases. This was a lifetime experience.
I learned a lot throughout the lab – personally, academically and professionally. I am very grateful for the opportunity to participate in it. Not only the personal lessons and experiences but more generally, the ability to learn about Open-Source Investigations, become convinced by its relevance and conceive of this whole new field for (professional) work has been very rewarding. I enjoyed the uncertainty (in hindsight :) ) and the challenges that arose, exposing me to an unfamiliar field and also to myself.
University-Community Partnership
Community partners involved
NGOs with a focus on global justice. Partners from previous years included:
- Airwars,
- Bellingcat,
- Free Press Unlimited,
- The Financial Times
- WITNESS, PAX
- The Conflict and Environment Observatory
- Friends of the Earth Netherlands
Co-definition of the social need
A survey is conducted among the partners. The societal issue has to be researchable through open-source investigation. The teaching team makes an initial selection, from which the students subsequently choose. Students and partners jointly determine the project and the final deliverable.
Reciprocity & partner role
The Lab is built around reciprocity. Partners do more than provide cases for students to work on. They help shape research questions, share professional expertise, mentor students, and provide feedback. Students, in turn, contribute time, skills, disciplinary perspectives, and investigative capacity to work that responds to partners’ actual needs. This creates a learning environment in which students experience the opportunities, responsibilities, uncertainties, and setbacks of professional collaborative work.
Pedagogical design
Curriculum integration
The course is part of the available elective options for all BA and MA students at Utrecht University.
Learning objectives
- Identify and critically analyze ethical and conceptual issues raised by open-source investigation work in the global justice field, and express your knowledge and insights orally and in writing
- Critically appraise and reflect upon open-source investigations in the global justice field as well as your role therein, and reflect upon your own work, attitudes, and collaborations in the course.
Service & learning activities
Service activities: discussions, providing ideas, constructing the advisory report.
Learning activities: knowledge and skills regarding open-source investigations and issues of global injustice; engaging with others, personal positioning, and subsequent reflection
Active role of the student
Students define the theme, specify the project, and outline the methodology.
Reflection
Reflection takes place during and after the service activity. It supports students in personally positioning themselves, creating transformative learning experiences.
Assessment
Assessment is focused on participation, reflection, a workshop assignment and a final report.
Competences for democratic culture
Competences for democratic culture
Values
- Valuing democracy, justice, fairness, equality and the rule of law
Attitudes
- Responsibility
- Self-efficacy
Knowledge and critical understanding
- Knowledge and critical understanding of the self
- Knowledge and critical understanding of the world
How are competences for democratic culture developed?
Students are exposed to confrontational and high-risk issues, which subsequently fosters understanding and responsibility through assignments and reflection.
Outcomes & impact
Learning outcomes for students
Students learn to take responsibility, position themselves, collaborate with partners, and jointly refine societal questions, gaining insight into issues of global justice. In general, this enhances their sense of agency regarding societal issues and global justice.
Community impact
- Conducting research and publishing for a wider audience
- Assembling a dossier for a possible legal proceeding
- General focus on global justice
Challenges & conditions for success
Challenges
- Ensuring that the seminar content is well-aligned with the partners’ societal issues and practical assignments, and vice versa;
- Sustaining active engagement and dynamics within the student teams throughout the 20-week period, during which students are also enrolled in other courses.
Conditions for success
- The teaching team itself should be composed in an interdisciplinary manner
- Sufficient time and resources to set up the course