It is unlikely that a brief description of the programme would convince you to dedicate two years of your life to this master degree, so we provide below five specific reasons that might do it better.
Opportunities. Why choose MDIM?
1. For the quality of studies and faculty
The mission of MDIM is to develop competencies in the field of international development and migration – public policies on development and migration, social economy, international relations, socio-anthropology of development, and other areas of interest for the master’s theme – in an international teaching and learning environment. The design of policies in the field of aid and international assistance, from the perspective of migration policies, complements the range of central themes addressed in the study hours and individualizes the profile of this master’s programme in the offer of the Faculty of Political Sciences.
The study programme aims to deepen bachelor studies or other fields by obtaining complementary competencies, prioritizing the acquisition of specialized knowledge, the development of cognitive skills, linguistic competencies, as well as research skills. Additionally, the programme will contribute to strengthening expertise in the field of international development and migration, through the dynamism of the study programme and through intensifying partnerships with international institutions.
More details about the curriculum and the faculty are available on the disciplines and academic staff pages of the master programme.
2. For the quality of specialized practice and the opportunity to start a career in the field right from the master’s degree
MDIM is organized in partnership with the International Organization for Migration, the Romanian office. In addition to the contribution of IOM to the educational offer, among the advantages of this master program, we can also mention the specialized practice that our master students follow within IOM. In this way, testimonials from current master students, as well as from graduates, emphasize that MDIM responds to: 1) the need to develop practical skills in using knowledge in a specific thematic field (the importance of the practical utility of courses in the sphere of professional activities carried out daily); 2) enriching the CV in terms of increasing the potential flexibility of the professional field and expanding competencies in the event of the need for (re)integration into the labour market; 3) developing language skills; 4) intensifying practical activities in major areas of interest for the programme (migration, foreign aid, governance improvement, health, education, human rights, gender equality, disaster prevention, economics, environment).
Through the emphasis on the migration studies component and through the intensive programme of specialized practice, MDIM differentiates itself from similar offers at the national level.
In addition to specialized practice, our master students have undergone internship programmes at IOM, and some of them have joined the IOM team as employees, already starting a career in the field of migration.
3. Specialization
Romania is at the beginning of research and teaching in the field of migration (master studies, doctoral studies), although Romania – according to UN reports (for example, UN International Migration Report) – is among the top states whose emigration rate is increasing. Unlike the case of Syria or, currently, Ukraine, Romania has not provided Europe with refugees following an armed conflict, but a significant part of the population – it is rumored the number of 3 million Romanians – has left the country in the last 30 years due to economic, social, and political difficulties.
In order to have specialists even in the consular departments or career offices representing Romania abroad, we need experts who deeply understand these aspects. The state in the service of the citizen means professionals, specialized civil servants, graduates of studies based in specialized departments such as a master or doctoral programme in migration.
Furthermore, Romania is a destination country for at least two distinct categories of people: (a) asylum seekers and (b) temporary workers. The master study programme aims to train specialists who can work both in the asylum field and in public institutions and private organizations that aim to attract and support workers from other states in the Romanian economy.
4. Extracurricular activities
Through our master programme, we aim to contribute to the formation of a community of experts in the field of migration. On the one hand, it is about encouraging academic research. Romania must make a generous contribution and must responsibly honour its role as a member of the EU through involvement, creating such studies. We, who are already professors and who already have experience in research, those who can lobby for the establishment/development of such studies, consider that we must assume a responsible role in helping and encouraging both other researchers and writers to address such not-so-easy themes. Scientific rigour is impossible and even immoral to avoid. On the other hand, at the beginning of the journey, we wanted to offer our master students the opportunity to get involved in their own projects, to work in teams, and to explore new facets of migration.
Access the Projects and Events page and see the events organized for and with our master students.
5. Compatibility with labor market needs
The Faculty of Political Sciences constantly consults with representatives of employers, alumni, students, and faculty, so the MDIM program is updated and aligned with the needs of the labour market. From the focus groups organized, it resulted that:
- Employers emphasize the need for specialists in the field of migration who operate in multiple sectors. Thus, for the international sector, there is a constant need for specialists in the field of international development and migration. Additionally, at the internal level, there is a need for specialists – employed in state structures – who help improve inter-institutional cooperation and coordination (with clear responsibilities and attributions for the actors involved). For the NGO sector, there is a shortage of experts who are overwhelmed with a variety of cases; in this context, there is a need for a study programme that provides NGOs and their partners (lawyers, police officers, prosecutors, judges) with the collaborators they need in complex situations, such as – for example – domestic violence among refugee women.
- Public authorities represented in the focus group also consider that the Romanian state authorities should focus more on the migration issue, Romania being a state that produces and receives migrants. Thus, a master programme that offers multiple perspectives on migration (political science, international relations, anthropology, social economy, etc.) meets the need for specialists felt by central or local authorities.
- Students believe that the migration issue is too little debated among young people and only through an economic prism, needing more complex studies dedicated to this subject. Thus, the existence of a specialized master degree is welcomed, especially through its organization in cooperation with an international organization active in this area.
- People already active in the field also note the lack of institutionalized initiatives from the state to promote Romanian expertise internationally, existing experts managing to reach certain positions due to personal efforts and networking. A specialized master degree would thus bring practitioners an additional level of support and visibility.