Testimonials

''Studying International Development Studies is one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences I have had.''

Studying International Development Studies is one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences I have had. You are constantly learning and building skills, so although it is intense, it is easy to see why the course is so highly rated. I came to Utrecht from the United Kingdom as I loved the idea of studying in the Netherlands and I didn’t feel like any other university offered a course with more opportunities. Throughout my time on IDS I have met with philanthropic organisations, helped to curate a museum and soon I am going abroad to do my thesis research. So I can honestly say my time here exceeded all my expectations.

"I feel that IDS has given me the right tools to interpret policies and to translate them to our daily practice."

It is 5 o’clock in the morning. The alarm goes off and the five of us wake up. It is raining. We quickly get dressed and start our daily two hour walk. We reach a small village and continue our voyage in a horse chariot. At destination we are awaited by the chief and as it seems the entire community. The four Ethiopian researchers that I hired start interviewing the pre-selected farmers and the day begins. On our 3-week journey we managed to interview around 300 randomly selected farmers in seven different areas.

Doing research in a developing country for IDS has been the best experience for my professional career. It taught me the importance of preparation, it taught me to be creative in complex situations, and it brought me the necessary tools to lead a team under hard conditions.  A truly great experience that I can recommend to everyone!

Today I am working as a manager at the Netherlands-African Business Council. In this position it is important to have a good understanding of the trade and aid policy environment here and in Africa. I feel that IDS has given me the right tools to interpret these policies and to translate them to our daily practice.

"The perfect opportunity to study with a group of likeminded people from all over the world."

After I finished my Bachelor's in Political Science at Leiden University, I was looking for a Master's programme with a focus on developmental issues. This Master's offered not only interdisciplinary courses on topics I found interesting, but also the chance to do research in a developing country. It was the perfect opportunity to study with a group of likeminded people from all over the world and see if working in a developing country was the right choice.

The program itself is quite busy: in 5 to 6 months you have to follow your courses, finish your exams and prepare your research. I went to Uganda to study new corporate land acquisitions. Who bought big pieces of land and how did it affect the local communities? Together with a colleague from my host organization, the Uganda Land Alliance, I spoke to all stakeholders involved in five different areas, from farmer to district officers and CEOs. It was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

During my stay in Uganda I got an assignment to write an article on health programs in Tanzania and Uganda. It was not a coincidence: during my Pre-Master's I did an internship as a journalist at a Dutch magazine that is specialized in the development sector. It was the final push: journalism it is! When I finished my thesis I applied for the Postdocterale Dagblad Opleiding Journalistiek, a post-academic program that turns academics into journalists. Now I’m working as a journalist at the Dutch Financial Daily. I still love it: as a journalist I learn every day.

"The centerpiece of the entire year was without a doubt the internship."

I chose International Development Studies coming from a background in Humanistic. At the time I was looking to bridge the abstract ethics I had been trained in with more of a ‘real world’ focus. What appealed to me most about IDS was its global orientation and strong empirical grounding, favoring complexity and context sensitivity over generalizations. The multidisciplinary nature of development studies was reflected in both the course material and the various nationalities and backgrounds of my co students. This resulted in a particularly dynamic and inspiring programme. The centerpiece of the entire year was without a doubt the internship, which formed the ‘big event’ which everyone was working towards. This lead to a definite sense of shared excitement and anticipation during the classes as the days drew closer. 

I spent my internship researching social movements and land conflicts in Tanzania. I was supported by the Dutch NGO Agriterra, and MVIWATA, the country’s small-scale farmer network. It was a priceless experience, the type which you can only have by stepping outside your comfort zone. Collecting and conceptualizing data amidst the power shortages, language barriers and many other uncertainties was both extremely challenging and extremely rewarding.  Flexibility, confidence and reflexivity are some of the competencies which I developed during my time away. Since my graduation I have started working as a junior lecturer at Utrecht University and I will soon be starting my phd. This path is an extension of experiences I had at IDS and the love for research which I brought back from my fieldwork.

"Strengths of the programme are open-minded lecturers, group work and strong cooperation with fellow students."

Recruiting, training and supervising a local team, designing a good quality household survey, analysing public health policies or facilitating a focus-group discussion – these and many more skills and pieces of knowledge I had the chance to acquire thanks to the International Development Studies Programme (IDS).

One of the greatest pros of the programme is undoubtedly the semester-long research internship. I passed that in Ethiopia and together with my great fellow student Hannah we had the chance to work with an amazing team of young Ethiopian female researchers on the aspects of reproductive health care access, women´s empowerment or health accountability. Other strengths of the programme are open-minded lecturers, group work and strong cooperation with fellow students required during any course. That prepared me practically to a large extent for my professional career.

Apart from the technical aspects of research techniques and methods, leadership skills and certain level of diplomacy, I learnt to be humble. I learnt to distinguish. Each of the countries and their regions has its own specificities and challenges which require unique approaches. People living in those places are critical drivers of the change they anticipate and I learnt I cannot behave like ‘the architect of the solution’. I learnt to listen and analyse instead.

I can honestly state that studying IDS at UU moved both my professional and personal life further.