Governance and Development

The future of sustainable development is critically related to the promotion of better governance at the local, national, regional and international levels. Both a cause and a consequence of governance failures, violent conflict is incompatible with sustainable development. Processes of state formation, state failure and state reconstruction play a central role in this nexus between development, governance and conflict.

This master analyses governance problems and possible responses with due consideration of the specific historical pathways of individual countries, as well as theinteraction between dynamics at the national state level and the local society level. It also addresses the impact of global developments. Students are familiarized with multidisciplinary theoretical and practical insights that will improve their capacity to analyse governance challenges at different levels, in addition to improving the way in which they relate to processes of violent conflict and development.

The governance programme offers two tracks with specific objectives and courses:

• Track 1: Governance, Peace and Conflict. This track explores issues of governance and development against the background of violent conflict and the challenge of post-conflict state reconstruction.
• Track 2: Local Governance and Poverty Reduction. This track addresses governance and development challenges from the perspective of local institutions and poverty reduction.

Governance, Peace and Conflict (Track 1)

The track ‘Governance, Peace and Conflict’ focuses on the actors and factors involved in the governance dimensions of development within the contexts of conflict-prone environments and states that are facing a multitude of reconstruction challenges following violent conflict. The track offers theoretical and contextualised insight into the political economy of governance and development, focusing on the state as a central actor in the development process of a nation. The track also explores critical dimensions, drivers and dynamics of violent conflict, processes of peace and conflict resolution and post-conflict state reconstruction. It adopts a thematic perspective, supplemented by in-depth case studies drawn mainly from Sub- Saharan Africa. Students receive analytical and policy-oriented tools for carrying out knowledge-based interventions, particularly in environments affected by conflict.

This track is intended for participants with a variety of disciplinary backgrounds who are professionally active or aspire to careers in conflict-prone environments or post-conflict situations or who are interested in policy-oriented research on these topics. Participants should have work experience or academic interest in the public action domain, whether within government institutions (including public research institutions), donor agencies (including international nongovernmental organisations, bilateral and multilateral donors) or civil society (including advocacy groups, research institutes and universities).

Local Governance and Poverty Reduction (Track 2)

The track ‘Local Governance and Poverty Reduction’ focuses on the interaction between transnational, national and local actors in governance processes. Decentralisation has become an important part of the agenda for governance reform and democratisation in many countries. For this reason, it is hardly possible to discuss issues of public-service provision and property rights without due consideration for local-level institutions and political dynamics. The partial autonomy of local decision-making levels is an integral part of countries that are characterised by weak or fragile national-level state structures. It therefore requires careful scrutiny in the conceptualisation and assessment of development initiatives. Special attention is also paid to the dynamics of poverty and the politics of poverty reduction.

The track is intended for participants who are professionally active or interested in research on the interface between the transnational, national and local level and/or between state and non-state development actors. Students should have work experience, academic interest or aspire to a career in the public action domain, whether within government institutions (including public research institutions), donor agencies (including international NGOs, bilateral and multilateral donors) or civil society (including research institutes, universities).

Requirements

• Applicants must hold a Master's degree in Social Sciences (Economics, Political Science, Sociology, International Relations, or related disciplines), with good study results. Applicants with a Bachelor's degree of four years of study can be admitted, provided they have attended additional courses/trainings and/or hold relevant professional experience. Applicants with only a Bachelor’s degree of three years of study will not be admitted to the Master programmes.
• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language): minimum score of 550 for the paper-based test or 79 for the Internet-based test. Information about this test is available at the TOEFL-website. IOB does not accept the TOEFL ITP.
• IELTS (International English Language Testing System): minimum score of 6.5 and a minimum score of 6.0 on each component. Information about this test is available at the IELTS-website.
• A copy of your valid passport or identity card/a curriculum vitae
• A motivation letter
• A legalised copy of your degree certificate (please read more information on legalisation)
• Applicants that are enrolled in the final year should submit an original and signed letter from their college or university confirming that they are expected to finalise the program at the end of the current academic year
• A copy of your academic transcripts, provided with a stamp of the university

Scholarships

• VLIR-UOS: scholarships for students from developing countries: Scholarships are available for students from 54 scholarship countries in Africa, Asia and Latin-America to follow a training or master programme at the University of Antwerp.
• ASEM-DUO: Scholarships are available for students from China, India, South-Korea and Vietnam.
• Transition Fellowship Programme: Scholarships are available for students from 4 countries in transition (Brazil, Morocco, South Africa and Turkey).
• Mastermind: Scholarships are available for international students who want to take up a master degree programme.
• Global Study Awards: An individual global study award with a maximum value of £10000