The Collective Unconscious is a group of ‘freethinkers’ who chose the University of Twente as their base. Organizer and former psychology student Austin Piedmont says there is a lot of enthusiasm for the first meet-up. ‘We have twenty confirmed registrations, that is far beyond expectations,’ he says. He sees the meeting as the first step towards recognition as an official study association.
The association will have a special purpose. The MetaModern Student Organization wants to develop solutions for the mental problems of students, and international students, in particular. An official association on campus is a good way to do this, says Piedmont. ‘We bring psychology and philosophy students in contact with professionals and researchers. Together we are working on a "metamodern" way to tackle these problems.’
Study points
Piedmont suggests giving psychology students credits for their work in the association. ‘The methods we develop benefit the entire UT community,’ he says. According to him, the valuation in credits is logical: ‘When I talk to policy makers on campus about tackling mental problems, I always hear that money is the problem. We want to get started with our efforts, but we are careful not to impose extra workload on students. Recognition in credits overcomes this, allowing the UT to take its responsibility for the ever-growing group of international students with psychological and mental problems.
