VLIR-UOS Master Scholarship in Globalisation and Development 2010, The University of Antwerp, Belgium

The Master`s in Globalisation and Development (GD) approaches the phenomenon of globalisation from an eclectic perspective, considering both the opportunities it creates and threats it poses to development and poverty alleviation in low and middle-income countries, both at the national and the local level. Most of our students are engaged (or aspire to becoming engaged) in development policy work, professionally and/or as researchers.

The objective of the Master`s is to provide them with a solid understanding of the globalisation phenomenon in its multiple dimensions (worldwide markets for goods and services, capital and labour/migration, the planetary challenge of the environment and sustainable development). It also offers them insights and tools to analyse and affect how globalisation impacts on local development and poverty alleviation in low and middle-income countries, taking due account of the complexity of local-global interactions in the multifaceted arenas of globalisation. Successful students shall be able to recognise the opportunities presented by globalisation, and to assess and remedy the risks and threats entailed. Moreover, they shall be able to identify and evaluate policy and programme interventions to exploit opportunities for more effective local and national development in the evolving global context, as well as development interventions aimed at remedying the adverse effects of globalisation on development in general and on the poorer and weaker groups in society in particular, thereby strengthening the agency of the latter.

The Master`s programme focuses on the analysis of the interaction between external and local actors, at the interface of global and local development processes, in order to identify the changing opportunities for and constraints to beneficial institutional change for inclusive, sustainable development and poverty reduction. It conceptualises political and economic development as the outcome of interactions between a conditioning institutional environment and the agency of international, national and local actors. In this context, special attention is paid to the way in which these interactions produce either inequality and poverty or well-being. The programme focuses in part on micro-level institutions and processes, and how these condition the effectiveness, at the local level, of development efforts aimed at exploiting the opportunities raised by globalisation and/or at remedying its adverse effects on the poorer and weaker groups in society. Students are offered a choice of policy domains for a more in-depth treatment of specific policy challenges at the local-global interface (see options below).

The programme is intended for participants with work experience in local, regional and/or national government institutions, at research institutes or universities, or with local NGOs, advocacy or entrepreneurial associations, and in international organisations (e.g. international NGOs, bilateral and multilateral institutions). The candidates should be involved with and have an interest in development or poverty-reduction initiatives, micro or meso-level projects and programmes, and/or macro-level policymaking. Professionally, the candidates should hold (and aspire to) middle or higher management or policy (research) positions entailing at least some experience at the interface between different policy levels (international to local, national to international) or between different arenas (e.g. civil society-government, government-international forums and institutions, INGO-national NGO, etc).

Admission requirements
The following candidates are eligible to apply for the Master`s programmes:

Applicants from the South must hold a university degree (Bachelor or Master) of at least four years of study in Social Sciences (Economics, Political Science, Sociology, International Relations, or related disciplines). Applicants from the South who hold a Bachelor’s degree of only three years of study must demonstrate very strong and relevant professional experience and/or have successfully completed additional training. Applicants from the North must hold a Master’s degree in Social Sciences Only applicants with excellent academic records will be accepted.
Our ideal participant has at least two years of professional experience in a sector relevant to the programme. Applicants from the North should have relevant field experience in the South.
Applicants must be proficient in English. Those who have received a university education in English must provide an official certificate confirming this. Other applicants must submit one of the following test results:
- TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language): minimum score of 550 for paper-based test or 79 for Internet-based test. Information about this test is available at www.toefl.org.
- IELTS (International English Language Testing System): minimum score of 6.0. Information about this test is available at www.ielts.org.
- Special facilities are offered for students from other language backgrounds (in particular for French-speaking students). Students with paper-based TOEFL scores between 500 and 550 (or TOEFL Internet-based between 61 and 79) or IELTS scores between 5.0 and 6.0 may also be admitted provided they successfully complete a two-month intensive language course organised by the University of Antwerp before the start of the Master`s programme. For students selected for a VLIR-UOS scholarship, the cost of this language course is borne by the Institute (see below for details).

Motivation and Matching: see description of student profile per Master and Trajectory.
Period: September 2010 – September 2011

Language: English
Number of VLIR-UOS Scholarships: 10

Contact:
Mrs G. Annaert
Institute of Development Policy and Management (IOB)
University of Antwerp
T +32 (0)3 265 57 70
F +32 (0)3 265 57 71
dev[at]ua.ac.be
http://www.ua.ac.be/iob/education

Application for this scholarship is possible from 01/10/2009 until 01/02/2010

For further details:
http://www.scholarships.vliruos.be/index.php?navid=479&actionchoice=detailscholarship&scholarship_id=26&returnlink=1

You can apply for this scholarship by clicking the following link:
http://www.scholarships.vliruos.be/index.php?navid=479&scholarship_id=26&actionchoice=applyform

Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to ensure the above information is current and correct. However, applicants should contact the appropriate administering body before making an application, as details do change frequently.