The multidisciplinary perspectives will help me in the future to critically assess existing migration policies and develop concepts that take greater account of migrants’ needs and aspirations.
Elina Jonitz
Alumna Governance of Migration and Diversity (Sociology)
In my previous work, I met people from all over the world who - for various reasons - decided to move to Germany. It was through these interactions that I understood the different challenges people face throughout their migration experience - from overcoming borders to settling down in a new environment, often having to fight for their right to stay.
Which global dynamics cause people to leave and what is the impact on countries of origin and residence as well on migrants themselves? How can social cohesion in highly diverse societies be created? Considering recent political changes in Europe and worldwide, I believe these are some of the most pressing questions in our globalized world and brought me to the Master programme Governance of Migration and Diversity.
The GMD Master allowed me to seek answers to multiple questions and challenged me to engage with the complexity of migration and diversity in new ways. For example through discussions with students from different disciplinary backgrounds or during a mini-conference where we had to present our own policy ideas for current migration and diversity related issues. Also during site visits in Brussels, Leiden and Rotterdam we were given the opportunity to exchange ideas with governance actors on the international, national and local level.
I also appreciated the staff’s approachability and their excellence in teaching and up-to-date research with a focus on macro- and micro-level processes. Due to the GMD Master I am now able to analyse broader structural developments, such as the ‘crimmigration’ and ‘securitization’ of international migration, but also shed light on migrants’ everyday lived experiences. The multidisciplinary perspectives will help me in the future to critically assess existing migration policies and develop concepts that take greater account of migrants’ needs and aspirations.
A nice ‘side effect’ of the Master programme is the possibility to explore the Netherlands since courses take place in four Dutch cities: Rotterdam, Leiden, Delft and The Hague.