Last week, we welcomed a new cohort of students, who have come from across the globe to join our Master of Science in Public Policy and Human Development (MPP) programme. Before diving into their studies, more than 80 students from 29 countries stepped into student life at UNU-MERIT through two introduction days filled with workshops, informational fairs, and group activities exploring their new home in the city of Maastricht. Here, we captured the first moments of their academic journey.  ...

Speeches, emotions and the joy of ending an academic journey On Thursday 15 June 2023, we celebrated our 2022-23 Master’s in Public Policy and Human Development (MPP) cohort in the annual MPP Closing Ceremony. UNU-MERIT Director Bartel van de Walle opened the ceremony by thanking the students and their parents for entrusting UNU-MERIT with the privilege of educating this next generation of policy experts that will uphold the values of the UN.     It was also a special occasion fo...

💭 Curious about how your career might look in 2-10 years after graduating from our MSc in Public Policy and Human Development? 💡 Here, seven of our MPP alumni give you some insights into their working lives and your possible future.   🎓  Francesco Iacoella – 2017 graduate, Risk and Vulnerability specialisation 💼  Impact Evaluation Analyst at UNICEF Evaluation Office (New York) “It is hard to overstate the impact that the MPP had on my career. I was always drawn to the study of v...

With our MSc in Public Policy and Human Development (MPP) application deadlines fast approaching (15 June 2023 for non-EU applicants and 15 July 2023 for EU applicants), we thought we’d provide an overview of the application process and some helpful tips to support anyone who’s still thinking about applying for the September 2023 intake! ℹ️  The documents you’ll need to apply to our MSc programme: A digital passport picture A digital copy of your passport / identity card A recent copy of your CV...

I am sitting at my desk at home because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s a safety precaution for myself, of course, but also an act of solidarity. Solidarity with experts and solidarity with informed decision makers. Suddenly, finally, everyone is listening to scientists – i.e. virologists – as much as politicians. And suddenly everyone is taking drastic action: from governments to businesses to individuals around the globe. What changed? What is so different about this crisis, so different from a...

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“What I discovered about myself during the Europe For Citizens conference in Malta is that I actually know something about migration,” said Adam Hussain, a British student on our Master’s programme at UNU-MERIT. “I was able to spread the knowledge that I have acquired to people who do not study the subject. It was a fulfilling experience to move away from theory and to see that my studies have a real-life application.” For his fellow student Julia Pohl, a German-Turkish national, it was he...

A joint post by Dr. Mindel van de Laar and Katerina Triantos. There’s a first time for everything. Recently, in partnership with the Dutch government and the SURF organisation, we’ve developed online courses to help students choose their tracks (the basic idea is that if they’re better informed from the start, they’re less likely to drop out). We piloted SMART Choices in the autumn of 2017 – and with some success, according to the student evaluations. We’ve now moved on to the SMART Tools part o...

This year, we stayed in our own new Sphinxkwartier neighbourhood to celebrate the closing ceremony of our Master’s programme in Public Policy and Human Development (MPP). The Muziekgieterij, the Maastricht pop concert hall located a few minutes down the Boschstraat in the renovated Timmerfabriek, Maastricht’s former carpentry factory, provided a rough and original old industrial setting for the festive event. The MPP closing ceremony marks the end of the academic year and serves as a...

UNU-MERIT and its School of Governance hosted a Master’s Open Day on Saturday 20 February 2016. Several information sessions were offered throughout the day and visitors had the opportunity to speak with staff and students, as shown in the video above. A special guest of the day was our MPP alumnus Laurin Sepoetro, who now works at the European Parliament as Political Adviser to Ismail Ertug, MEP, and S&D Coordinator for the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN). Our top-ranked MSc...