María del Pilar Oviedo Cáceres (Executive Master in Development Policies and Practices (DPP), ’15) has won the Best Research Project in Spanish Language Award, for her paper entitled Social representations of low vision and its influence on the access to visual rehabilitation services in Bucaramanga, Colombia. The World Council of Optometry and the Colombian Federation of Optometrists presented the prize in August 2015, as the research project obtains the highest scores for its academic quality and relevance in the field. It was also selected to be presented at the First World Congress of Optometry.

The results of her project are already beginning to shift approaches and strengthening public policy dialogue on disabilities in Colombia. They have been the starting point for new intervention processes executed by Santo Tomas University’s School of Optometry, and its associated centre, the UNESCO Chair of Visual Health and Development.

The award was the culmination of the research Maria conducted for her professional thesis in the Executive Master at the Graduate Institute. "We are very proud of Ms. Oviedo Cáceres” said Will McDonald, Director of Outreach for Executive Education at the Institute. “Her achievement is emblematic of the leadership skills that we aim to provide throughout our programming, and this adds to the positive impact that our Executive Master DPP makes in communities around the globe."

The DPP operates largely through the support of various government agencies and private foundations. In particular, María del Pilar's participation in the DPP was made possible by the generous contribution of Swiss foundation Avina Stiftung, a long-time supporter of the Executive Master. Other primary donors to the DPP include the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation and the Republic and Canton of Geneva.

There are over 500 alumni of the Executive Master DPP to date, many continuing to lead in their home regions across the global south. Other alumni include Parkhat Yussupjanov, who kick-started a regional network for youth with disabilities in Kazakhstan, and Nwe Zin Win, who has been leading civil society initiatives in Myanmar.

The DPP, an Executive Education programme tailored for mid-career professionals, combines studies both in-region and at the Graduate Institute’s Villa Barton in Geneva. The programme is delivered in English, French or Spanish concurrently across five regional hubs, in combination with applied practice at work and a final module at the Graduate Institute.

To learn more about the Executive Master in Development Policies and Practices, and information about how to apply, please visit the programme homepage.