International Organisations and Crisis Management

Are you interested in exploring what international organisations such as the United Nations or the International Committee of the Red Cross (can) do to alleviate crises, be they violent conflicts, natural disasters or climate change? Do you want to understand why and how civil wars erupt, countries slide into financial crises or the number of refugees worldwide increases year by year? And would you like to discuss with expert scholars and seasoned practitioners the dilemmas and obstacles such organisations encounter when tackling these issues? Then this is the Master you should consider. 

In our programme, you learn about the growth, relevance, functioning and tasks of thousands of international governmental and non-governmental organisations worldwide. You learn how international humanitarian, financial, ecological, developmental and military crises arise, how they escalate and how they are managed. And you learn how international organisations as well as their member states strive to resolve them. This includes crises that organisations have to tackle internally, for instance, due to performance failure, deadlock in decision-making or dwindling legitimacy. On top of that, you develop the practical skills necessary to work in international settings, where sensitivity towards other cultures, openness and adaptability are core competences.

We prepare you for a career in international affairs, be it in international organisations, ministries, think tanks, media, multinational firms or universities. Your fellow students come from all around the world. They have been well educated in various disciplines relevant to our programme. You are taught by experts in the field, including practitioners, from various disciplines. You study one semester abroad, learn a second language and get to know the headquarters of international organisations.

We look forward to your application!

Prof. Dr. Rafael Biermann and Prof. Dr. Christian Kreuder-Sonnen, directors of the master’s programme

Image: Institute for Political Science