In late 2020, the International Monetary Fund launched a Youth Fellowship Contest to give aspiring young leaders a chance to share their views on COVID-19 responses and global efforts to build back better – towards a greener, fairer and more inclusive recovery. Out of around 700 submissions from around the world, our EPRM alumna Krithiga Narayanan – a multi-platform journalist from India – was chosen to be one of 26 IMF fellows from 25 countries. She joined a range of bloggers, journalists, comm...

As a journalist who is part of a news research team, I am required to produce extensive and in-depth news articles on varied topics like policy, development, human rights, environment and law. Hence I applied to study the Evidence-Based Policy Research Methods course at UNU-MERIT, a research and training institute of the United Nations University which is ‘embedded’ in Maastricht University in the Netherlands. I chose this university because of its affiliation with the UN and also because of the...

This series tracks news and views from our ‘Evidence-Based Policy Research Methods’ (EPRM) course. Many participants work at the highest of levels, both nationally and internationally, including for other sections of the UN system. In normal times, they come to the City of Maastricht in the Netherlands for this unique blended learning programme, covering a total of three weeks in class and 10 weeks online. Application deadline: 20 December 2020. Now available 100% online. … In April 2020, our EP...

A few years back, I came across someone who was enrolled on the EPRM course, while I was looking for an expert in primary health care on LinkedIn. Exploring the programme content on the UNU-MERIT website, I noticed that this blended course aims to extend the research knowledge and analytical skills of working professionals through its five comprehensive modules. Overall, my goal is to directly work with the government personnel, policymakers and relevant stakeholders for policy change based on f...

This series tracks news and views from our ‘Evidence-Based Policy Research Methods’ (EPRM) course. Many participants work at the highest of levels, both nationally and internationally, including for other parts of the UN system. They come to Maastricht for this unique blended learning programme, covering three weeks in class and 10 weeks online. This time we speak with Agata Petrelli, an award-winning child rights researcher. … Congratulations on winning the Mac Robertson Scholarship from the Un...

I’m involved in an exciting pilot project on ‘Open Educational Badging’ – and I must admit that it’s scary because I barely understand ICT, especially coding. Still, the participants in the ‘Evidence-Based Research Methods’ (EPRM) programme that I direct will be awarded online badges that can be linked to their social network profiles, and show that they successfully completed the courses. You may wonder how an ICT-averse person like me ends up in an ICT-innovative educational pilot programme. I...

I work as a freelance consultant, and the bulk of my career has focused on project evaluation, research and supporting humanitarian development organisations in designing projects and programmes. I chose this course because I thought it would address my needs and improve my performance, especially during commissioning assignments for NGOs working in conflict areas such as Iraq and Syria. Also, as a large part of my work is to evaluate research and projects, I needed a course that would help me u...

This study programme is very comprehensive and includes a blend of research tools that are relevant to developing countries and to practical work in the field. The best part, though, is that my studies are clearly connected to research and to strengthening policy and strategies. Another major aspect is that fellow participants come from all around the world: from Asia, Africa, and Europe – so I’ve gained exposure to numerous cultures and learned all their various problem-solving techniques. Fina...

After over 15 years at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a UN specialised agency on information and communication technologies (ICTs), I felt it was the right time for me to design and execute a research project combining my professional experience, academic interests and certain gaps that I have witnessed in the field of ICTs and policymaking....

I had been searching for a programme that allowed me to combine my specific research interests with a rather busy work schedule. The blended format with in-person classes and distance learning modules worked very well for me, by providing a good balance between flexibility of schedule and the opportunity to meet in person the tutors and faculty staff during the first couple of weeks of the programme. This allowed me to develop a good working relationship with the tutors, while also meeting other...