Monash University in Australia and Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in India have announced a unique international double masters program.
The two-year program invites TISS students to join the Master of International Development Practice at Monash University in Melbourne, while students from Monash have the opportunity to join the partner program at TISS in Mumbai, India.
The Master of International Development Practice allows students to build practical knowledge and skills, ensuring graduates are prepared for a broad range of international careers relating to the political, economic, cultural and ecological challenges leading to poverty, poor health, fragile governance, inequality and environmental vulnerability.
Students commence their studies at their home-country university before spending time studying at the university partner. The first cohort of TISS students have commenced their Monash program. On completion, students receive two degrees: an MA (International Development Practice) from TISS and a Master in International Development Practice from Monash University.
Equitable and sustainable human development remains a pressing global concern. Complex socio-political, health, economic, cultural, humanitarian, and ecological challenges contribute to extreme poverty, reduced human development, fragile governance and environmental vulnerability affecting the well-being of millions of people worldwide. These complex, multidimensional challenges require adaptable professionals with the practical skills and analytical capacity to strategically and ethically address them at community, national and global levels.
The Master of International Development Practice offers a multi-disciplinary, applied approach to the theory and practice of sustainable human development. Delivered by specialists across the humanities and social sciences, medicine, business and economics, education and law Faculties, the program delivers rigorous research training alongside the critical and practical skills of project design and management and leadership skills.
Students can choose to focus their electives in one of the following areas:
- democracy, justice and governance
- gender, peace and security
- crisis, change management and leadership
- sustainable resource management
- sustainable economies
- global migration
Graduate employment opportunities may include local and international non-government organisations, human rights advocacy, aid agencies, government, social enterprise, corporate social responsibility, the business sector, universities, community organisations, and international institutions such as the United Nations, World Bank and International Migration Organisation.
The program marks the formalisation of Monash’s commitment to the TISS-Monash Strategic Partnership Agreement which involves a number of initiatives including research collaborations, educational programs and industry partnerships between the two institutions.
Monash’s Faculty of Arts and TISS have successfully collaborated for more than five years through the faculty’s groundbreaking mobility program Global Immersion Guarantee (GIG), with TISS hosting Monash students each year, supported through the New Colombo Plan.
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Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Professor Katie Stevenson, said the new double masters was key to Monash’s commitment to engaging with India.
“Monash is proud to partner with such a prestigious institution. TISS students are amongst the finest in the world and their presence at Monash will enrich the MIDP program and bring mutual benefits to our institutions. Both cohorts of students will exit this double masters program with deep contextual knowledge and vastly expanded networks that will position them to have real and global impact in their future careers,” Professor Stevenson said.
TISS Vice-Chancellor, Professor Shalini Bharat said: “TISS and Monash have a history of deep and meaningful engagement with each other which has moved from strength-to-strength over the years. The double degree in International Development Practice is a testimony, not just to our strong partnership, but also to our commitment to students in creating an educational ecosystem where students learn to ideate, innovate and translate what they learn to address societal and global level challenges.”
This Double degree was launched in April 2022 made only possible when the Modi government released the New Education Policy 2020 which allowed Deemed-to-be-Universities like TISS to offer such a unique programme.
Monash University and Tata Institute of Social Sciences coming together are part of the education diplomacy drive currently happening between the two nations.