Masters in Development Studies 2018-2019 Brochure nieuw ontwerp 2018 web | Page 13

Additional skills include the identification and
evaluation of development interventions aimed at
remedying the adverse effects of global tendencies
on sustainable development in general and on the
poorer and weaker groups in society in particular,
thereby aiming to strengthen the agency of the
latter.
T rack 1: L ocal institutions and poverty reduction
The Master focuses on the analysis of the
interaction between external and domestic
actors at the interface of global, national and
local arenas and development processes, in order
to identify the changing opportunities for and
constraints to beneficial institutional change for
inclusive, sustainable development and poverty
reduction.
In this context, special attention is paid to the
way in which these interactions can produce
inequality and poverty, as well as how they can
promote wellbeing. Each student can focus on
one or two policy challenges at the local–global
interface and follow a tailormade study trajectory.
(e.g. inclusive value chains and/or microfinance;
the global financial architecture; international
migration; impact of trade policies; access to
land; governance of natural resources; the climate
change challenge; promotion of gender justice; …)
Candidates are actively involved in development
or poverty-reduction initiatives, in micro-level
or meso-level projects and programmes and/or
in macro-level policy makers. Professionally, the
candidates hold middle or upper management
or policy (or policy research) positions; ideally,
these also entail at least some experience at the
interface between different policy levels (e.g.
international to local, national to international)
or between different arenas (e.g. civil society –
government, government – international forums
and institutions, INGOs – national NGO).
The programme is intended for participants
who have work experience or an interest in
pursuing careers in local, regional and/ or national
government institutions; at research institutes or
universities; in (social or green) businesses, local
NGOs, advocacy or entrepreneurial associations;
or in international organisations (e.g. with
international NGOs, bilateral and multilateral
institutions) or multinational corporations.
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