Svenja Skoll, alumna MA Globalisation and Development Studies
While applying for the Masters Programme Globalisation and Development Studies, I was particularly fascinated by the prospect of doing field work research in a foreign country, during the second semester of the programme. In order to do so, I took the great advantage of the links and contacts of the GDS teaching staff.
With the support of my academic supervisor, I took up the chance to conduct my own research on rural development strategies in the South African Eastern Cape Province for three months. Before leaving for South Africa, qualitative research design was taught in class, helping me to feel well prepared for my work. Throughout the field work, I conducted numerous interviews and met many interesting people working in the development field with whom I am frequently in contact with. Moreover, I was able to produce a significant master thesis, based on my own research findings.
Besides the great enthusiasm and professionalism of the teaching staff in GDS, I very much liked that students are able to choose between three different options to finalise their studies, which can be a desk study, an internship, or field work. Moreover, the option of a desk study even allows the student to choose electives from other master’s programmes at the faculty, or within Maastricht University.
Certainly, my stay in South Africa was an incredible experience during the GDS programme, gaining hands-on experience in the field of globalisation and development. However, I believe it to be important to also highlight the interdisciplinary atmosphere within the programme, providing broad, critical knowledge on most relevant themes of our time. Having studied processes of globalisation and development not only from a market perspective, but also focusing on social realities of such themes has enabled me to understand and analyse issues of poverty, marginalisation, inequality and the prospects of transformation in this world.
Svenja Ksoll (German)
Year of graduation: 2012
