Why Pursue Development Studies in Geneva? Three current students explain why they chose to study at the Institute.
Sophie Schrago
PhD candidate in Anthropology and Sociology of Development
In choosing to study Anthropology and Sociology of Development my aim was not only to look at issues concerned with social and economic change and the major policy challenges they present, but also to widen my understanding of how non-State actors–such as minorities and social movements–can contribute to fostering social change. Also, I wanted to broaden my knowledge of how the different dynamics associated with globalisation–such as multiculturalism and plural legalism–operate change through identity-based social action. Today my research focuses on the various ways Muslim women in India–a minority within the minority–envisage political change and counter State and community violence through dynamics of protest on the levels of consciousness, expression of their priorities and action. More specifically, my thesis consists of ethnographic research on Indian Muslim women and the ways they negotiate power relations and create spaces of agency and forms of self-representation through resisting the hegemonic discourses that constitute the structural context of their sphere of political action. By doing so, I aim to investigate the way these women practice, through their mobilisation, an alternative conception of citizenship based on the “collective”.
The Anthropology and Sociology of Development programme at the Graduate Institute has provided me with a strong grounding in theory and methodology as well as in their application in the field of development. The programme is extremely varied and I appreciate the flexibility the Institute has given me to broaden my horizons and develop my skills as a researcher by enabling me to acquire strong fieldwork experience.
Selsah Pasali
PhD candidate in Development Economics
As I approach the final year of my PhD in Development Economics, I can safely say that my decision to study Development at the Graduate Institute was the right one. The interdisciplinary approach offered by the Institute combined with intensive training in quantitative methods has made it possible to ask policy-relevant questions and to answer them empirically.
Upon completion of my Master’s Degree in International Development, I decided to continue to study Development because I was simply not done with asking questions. Everything that I had learned was in a sense endogenous to many other things and I felt that there was much more to learn. Thanks to my undergraduate and graduate studies, I had already been exposed to many different disciplines in social sciences but was finding it a challenge to formulate questions that could be answered empirically. My experience at the Graduate Institute helped me overcome this difficulty.
The Institute offers an enabling environment in which PhD candidates are able to interact with faculty members both on research as well as coursework. My discussions with professors during my search for a supervisor yielded great support and ideas for my research. In addition, the PhD programme also offers intense training in applied and theoretical econometrics. So, at the end of the first year of coursework, I had been exposed to a range of topics in development macroeconomics and microeconomics and had acquired the empirical skills needed to kick-start my research.
Development studies can be hugely stimulating, especially when there is a group of people seeking to answer many different research questions and the platforms exist for them to come together and share their ideas. The Institute offers several platforms for PhD candidates to present their work and receive feedback from both faculty members and peers. Thanks to a partnership with the Study Centre Gerzensee, the Institute offers PhD candidates from different backgrounds a chance to come together. Finally, the Institute’s location at the heart of Geneva offers possibly the best student accommodation with a million-dollar view of the lake!
Matel Sow
Master’s candidate in Development Studies
For me, the concept of development at the very basic level is about change–change and progress towards a better life. There is neither a ”one-‐size fits all” approach towards achieving progress nor one universal formula for transforming human societies, for the beauty of humanity lies in our differences as shaped by various aspects of our lives. Indeed, we humans all yearn for the same basic things, albeit nuances on the basis of cultures, countries and generations. Studying Development, for me, is about acquiring the necessary tools to grapple with the challenges inherent in the extremely complex yet rewarding endeavours of transforming our world for the better.
I see development as a two way street, a sort of give and take that translates global ideas into local situations while at the same bringing local ideas into the global framework and policies. The Graduate Institute’s location in international Geneva provides a great entry point into the field of development, especially at the policy level. In the last few months, I have interacted with global leaders, former heads of state, business, academic and political figures, diplomats and activists all through the Institute’s activities, conferences and lectures. I worked alongside other classmates at the 26th session of the Human Rights Council. We have been exposed to the world of international organisations, United Nations agencies and non-governmental organisations at an unprecedented scale. I have been further immersed in an educational environment that encourages new lines of inquiry, with perspectives from all around the world.
In all, I chose to study development at the Graduate Institute because its programmes and setting provide a perfect fusion of academic, policy and hands-on activities and knowledge that create a well-‐rounded experience that will prove crucial in the continuation of a career path in the field of development. I am glad to be pursuing a master’s degree in such an exciting environment.