International development studies at Lund: What you need to know

Lund University’s two-year master’s program in international development and management, or Lumid, is free of charge, incorporates field experience, and encourages students from developing countries to apply. Even though the program has been running for only three years, it has already become one of the most attractive of its kind in Europe, according to Magnus Jirström, vice chairman of the Lumid steering group. In 2008 alone, the steering committee received 1,800 applications for 40 positions. The ideal candidate is an independent and critical thinker with strong academic background and international work experience, preferably in development. “It is important for us to see that the student is able to handle the field situation and has already an idea on the area the student wants to focus,” said Agnes Andersson, Lumid program coordinator. Lumid particularly encourages applications from international students, notably those from developing countries, because the university sees this as the best way for inducing knowledge exchange between North and South. “The student body is a huge asset in itself,” Jirström said. “The daily interaction through group work and assignments is a source of knowledge and new experience.” Lund University charges no tuition. Several organizations offer scholarships depending on a student’s country of origin and qualifications. After completing a year of coursework on the Lund campus, Lumid students work in a developing country for a semester. “Several organizations working with development are crying out that they need adequately trained staff, with practical knowledge and above all specific field exposure,” said Göran Djurfeldt, chairman of the Lumid steering group. “The program responds to this need.” In Lumid’s first year, students had to find these internships themselves. Since then, professional networks have been established to assist students in their search. For the past three years, the fieldwork was sponsored by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, but Lumid is now seeking new funders. This mandatory work component offers students “a door to get into a developing country in a not artificial way and actually provide useful work for the organization itself,” Jirström said. Various assignments both for the host organization and the university are carried out during the fieldwork semester, including organization assessments and project monitoring and evaluation. “Students get the chance to collect field data, both quantitative and qualitative, design questionnaires, get an insight into organization learning practices,” said Andersson. “The field semester basically provides the applied perspectives of program and project management, essential for pursuing a career within international development.” In the past, students have spent their field semesters working for various organizations across the globe - evaluating UNICEF’s development projects in Kenya, conducting poverty baseline surveys for community-based organizations in Nicaragua, studying tourism sustainability in Madagascar, or doing impact assessments in India, for instance. “Working in international development for several years showed us that there was a big distance between academics and development practitioners,” Jirström said. “The fundamental idea behind this program was to devise a syllabus which would target this gap and bridge it effectively.” Although the development program is part of the university’s social sciences department, it offers classes taught by experts in medicine, natural sciences, political sciences, social and economic geography and the Public Health Institute. “We seek to offer students the theoretical and applied knowledge on different streams within development and therefore we draw on the expertise of numerous academics, researchers as well as development practitioners,” said Djurfeldt . After two multidisciplinary courses on development theory and methodology, students get to enhance their knowledge through three different modules related to their preferences and previous education: rural development, international public health, and natural resources management. Later on, students get the chance to acquire advanced practical project and program management skills in a course taught by experienced consultants and offered in collaboration with the Public Management Institute. This course prepares the students for critically analyzing tools and instruments used in the planning and implementation of projects. Theories are then put to test during the students’ semester in the field. Read more career advice articles.