Master programmes in Development studies 2017-2018 Development studies | Page 9

Track 1: Governance,
Peace and Conflict

Track 2: Local Governance
and Poverty Reduction

The track ‘Governance, Peace and Conflict’
focuses on the actors and factors involved in
the governance dimensions of development
within the contexts of conflict-prone
environments and states that are facing
a multitude of reconstruction challenges
following violent conflict. The track offers
theoretical and contextualised insight
into the political economy of governance
and development, focusing on the state
as a central actor in the development
process of a nation. The track also explores
critical dimensions, drivers and dynamics
of violent conflict, processes of peace
and conflict resolution and post-conflict
state reconstruction. It adopts a thematic
perspective, supplemented by in-depth
case studies drawn mainly from SubSaharan Africa. Students receive analytical
and policy-oriented tools for carrying out
knowledge-based interventions, particularly
in environments affected by conflict.

The track ‘Local Governance and Poverty
Reduction’ focuses on the interaction
between transnational, national and
local actors in governance processes.
Decentralisation has become an important
part of the agenda for governance reform and
democratisation in many countries. For this
reason, it is hardly possible to discuss issues
of public-service provision and property
rights without due consideration for locallevel institutions and political dynamics. The
partial autonomy of local decision-making
levels is an integral part of countries that are
characterised by weak or fragile nationallevel state structures. It therefore requires
careful scrutiny in the conceptualisation
and assessment of development initiatives.
Special attention is also paid to the dynamics
of poverty and the politics of poverty
reduction.

This track is intended for participants with
a variety of disciplinary backgrounds who
are professionally active or aspire to careers
in conflict-prone environments or postconflict situations or who are interested in
policy-oriented research on these topics.
Participants should have work experience or
academic interest in the public action domain,
whether within government institutions
(including public research institutions),
donor agencies (including international nongovernmental organisations, bilateral and
multilateral donors) or civil society (including
advocacy groups, research institutes
and universities).

The track is intended for participants who are
professionally active or interested in research
on the interface between the transnational,
national and local level and/or between state
and non-state development actors. Students
should have work experience, academic
interest or aspire to a career in the public
action domain, whether within government
institutions (including public research
institutions), donor agencies (including
international NGOs, bilateral and multilateral
donors) or civil society (including research
institutes, universities).

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