We often hear about plans to colonise Mars or return to the Moon, to be achieved in a seemingly distant future like 2030 or 2050. My visit to the 12th European Space Conference in Brussels on 21-22 January 2020 made me realise however that space is actually at the centre of strategic debates happening right now and that it offers many prospects for today’s policymakers. “From a geopolitical point of view, space is the new frontier of global politics,” said Josep Borrell, EU High Representative f...
"If you’re thinking about taking the MPP at UNU-MERIT, do it! You will find an international environment, amazing professors, both as human beings and as academics. And you will obtain tools and a knowledge to make a difference in the field of public policy.” Dr. Andrés Mideros Mora...
During our Master’s Open Day, we welcome prospective students and give them a general overview of the programme and its seven specialisations. We also invite alumni back to share how the programme prepared them to kick-start their careers in international development. On our Open Day in November 2019, I caught up with four alumni from different cohorts who reflected on the programme and their careers. Welcome back — thank you for taking the time to visit us! Let’s first have a brief ...
A Sentinel’s Eyes on Earth “It’s inspiring to see the potential of satellite-based Earth observation, and how researchers and policymakers can work together to mitigate the damage caused by these weather events.” Enter keywords...
After having experienced great excitement working on my Masters’ thesis, I felt a strong drive to work in research afterward, which made me choose to do a PhD. Becoming somewhat of an expert in a topic is certainly challenging, but at the same time very rewarding way to spend your time. I very much enjoy working in the academic environment and the freedom and challenges that come with working on different research projects. I chose to come back to Maastricht to work on the PhD because of the pos...
In many parts of the world free-will and decision-making are not considered natural rights for women. I was born and raised in one such country, where women have to negotiate or fight against man-made laws on a daily basis. When I use the term “man-made laws” I refer not only to the legal system but also the culture, which is inherently restrictive towards females....
“It's the first time I've felt 'at home' so quickly in a new environment. Every day at UNU-MERIT is a pleasure. The tutorial sessions are alive, dynamic and very interesting! You can tell that every student is happy to be here and entirely committed.” ...
"Clearly, policy designs can look great on paper but their ultimate success is shaped by many factors. Unlike in Western Uganda, the government does not own the land in the West Nile region. The land belongs to local communities. As a result, the government relies on the willingness of host communities to make land accessible to refugees." Elsemarie Jorissen, MSc. Student, UNU-MERIT
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It was a pleasure to present our SMART choices and SMART tools project at the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM) Spring Conference – particularly the development and roll out of our tailor-made toolkits. Following a discussion on the employability of public policy graduates and skillsets required by employers, we were asked to share our open access project with our peers and the public. Access all our SMART toolkits here. Not only was it unique for me to have a full ho...