Soraya Shawki, student International Public Management and Policy

After obtaining my bachelor’s degree in International Studies, I took a gap year to explore which master I wanted to pursue. While I interned at a political party, a human rights organization and led the non-profit foundation I co-founded, I realized that having an impact was key for me. Whether that impact would mean at the local, national or supranational level, I was not quite sure of but when I stumbled upon the Master International Public Management and Public Policy (IMP) - I knew this was the right choice for me. 

During the process of creating an NGO, we came across a lot of obstacles that complicated our progression - being policies or our unfamiliarity with how things worked. Having a seat at the table and equipping yourself with the relevant knowledge would have facilitated navigating ourselves more easily.

Since IMP offers you insights into the world of public management and public policy, the opportunities are endless; whether you want to work as a policymaker, a diplomat or at an NGO. IMP’s international scope and its practical dimensions -trips and professional development courses - also really spoke to me.

What about the content? Coming from a humanities background, with a specialisation in the Middle East and North Africa, I was afraid that this master would be very Eurocentric. Though some courses do focus on Europe and its institutions solely, there is a lot of room to explore topics of your own interest with the assignments. 

Overall, IMP is not your typical Public Administration course and the composition of the classes and the courses, challenge you to think outside the box. I also strongly believe that making a difference and translating it into inclusive policies is a way to make change sustainable.