• Course description

    It is a 6-days initial inter-university joint course that:
    •           Brings together approximately 150 students, over 40 lecturers and researchers as well as a significant number of consultants, international experts, policy makers, aid managers, and other guest speakers from NGOs and IGOs;
    •           Presents a wide range of humanitarian action issues by different specialists both from the field and academia;
    •           Combines activities that are vital for the multicultural and interdisciplinary training of the future humanitarian action professional;
    •           Successfully combines theory (through lectures) and practice (through workshops and case studies) based on the Network's teaching-learning policy; and
    •           Serves as a unique forum where participants from different parts of the world and with different backgrounds, perspectives and expectations share knowledge and experiences on current issues and problems in the area of humanitarian action.

    More information.
  • Main themes

    The intensive programme introduces students to:
    •           The academic and professional profile expected of the Joint European Master's in International Humanitarian Action; Key principles and concepts underlying humanitarian action;
    •           Main actors in the field of humanitarian relief, their policies and strategies; and
    •           Challenges facing humanitarian actors in coordinating their activities.
  • Learning outcomes

    In conformity with the learning outcomes set out by the NOHA network, students should achieve the following learning outcomes by the end of this module:
    •           Has demonstrated a basic understanding of the concept of humanitarian action and its relation to some adjacent concepts.
    •           Has shown familiarity with some of the key contemporary humanitarian issues and challenges.
    •           Has demonstrated a basic knowledge of the main actors working in the field of humanitarian action.
    •           Understands the NOHA network, its main educational and policy advocacy activities, its key partners, in particular the European Commission’s DG for Humanitarian Aid (ECHO), and the NOHA Alumni Association and its activities.
    •           Has developed a basic ability to work in a multicultural setting.
    •           Has shown appreciation for differences in culture and background.
  • Teaching and learning methodology

    •           Presentations on the NOHA network and the NOHA programme
    •           Sessions that offer comprehensive overviews on humanitarian related issues and lectures from Practitioners in the field
    •           Simulation Exercise
    •           Studying background articles
    •           Writing an essay on a topic of relevance to the IP and the humanitarian field
  • Assessment methods and criteria

    [IP 2016 Assessment]
    All universities apply a common assessment procedure for the IP - a written academic essay:
     
    The international humanitarian system needs a fundamental reorientation from supplying aid to supporting and facilitating communities’ own relief and recovery priorities. With the help of a case study and suitable examples, discuss how the international humanitarian community can engage with the local actors so as to reinforce and not replace local capacities.
     
    You may choose the context you have been familiarized with during the Intensive Programme. Moreover, you should make use of other information received at the Intensive Programme, such as the compulsory literature, other relevant literature.
     
    The essay should amount to 2000 words, and should be written in the language of instruction of the students’ home university. The essay must be written in accordance with normal academic requirements: this means for instance that proper references whenever sources are used should be provided and that plagiarism is out of the question.

    Assessment Criteria: The module is assessed according the home university requirements (national grading system or pass/fail).
     
    Content: 70%
    • Relevance to the statement of discussion
    • Quality of argumentation lines
    • Analytical quality
    • Structure.
    Format: 30%
    • Quality and quantity of sources used
    • Presentation and illustrations
    • Language
    • Length.
  • Required reading

    NOTE: Every year the detailed reading list is modified due to the changing IP theme.

    General readings:
    ALNAP (2015), The State of the Humanitarian System Report 2015
    Development Initiatives (2016), Global Humanitarian Assistance Report 2016
    EU (2008), The European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid
    ICRC (2015), ICRC Review: Principles guiding humanitarian action
    The Sphere Project (2011), Humanitarian Charter and Minimum standards in Humanitarian Response. Practical Action, Hampshire
    The Sphere Project (2015), The Core Humanitarian Standard and the Sphere Core Standards. Practical Action, Hampshire
    United Nations (2016), Agenda for Humanity: Annex to the Report of the Secretary-General for the World Humanitarian Summit. New York, United Nations
    WHS Irish Consultation (2015), Recommendations from the Irish Humanitarian Consultative Process. Centre for Humanitarian Action, Dublin
    World Humanitarian Summit secretariat (2015), Restoring Humanity: Synthesis of the Consultation Process for the World Humanitarian Summit. New York, United Nations

Last updated: 17 November 2016

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