DESCRIPTION OF THE PROGRAM

Background

This Master of Arts in Development Studies (MDS) program is designed to concretely respond to employment needs of the public, private and civil society development sector in Cambodia. The process of curriculum development was participatory, incorporating inputs from a wide variety of potential stakeholders. First, the curriculum of the program was drafted by RUPP faculty who hold graduate degrees in international development and then was refined through ad-hoc technical meetings attended by voluntary national and international academics and practitioners. RUPP also conducted a needs assessment survey among undergraduate students and development agencies (donor agencies, NGOs and government ministries) to identify the essential development knowledge and skills needed by these potential participants. The output of the survey was integrated into the curriculum of the program. Finally, the syllabus of each subject was discussed and modified at a two-day Syllabi Development Workshop attended by the RUPP faculty and national and international academics and practitioners. The purpose of the Workshop was for the subject lecturers and concerned academics and practitioners to deliberate specific topics/themes to be covered and instructional approaches for communicating the subject substance to the prospective participants. This program is supported, on a voluntary basis, by Nagoya University, Japan, New York University, USA, RMIT University, Australia, and Massey University, New Zealand. Professors from these universities will offer intensive courses in selected subjects.

Vision

The MDS program institutionalizes a dynamic and strategic vision to provide an interdisciplinary, advanced, research-based, practical education in contemporary world development. The MDS will provide a broad but critically-analytical education in a range of highly relevant subject areas in order that its graduates may have a thorough grounding in and comprehensive understanding of complex development problems at the local, national, regional and global levels. The program will emphasize both the theory and practice of development. Staff and students will search for and create development models which meet the social, economic, political and cultural realities of Cambodia and thereby contribute to the overall development of the kingdom.

In furtherance of this vision, the Program will liaise with the public at large so as to exchange information and knowledge which is reciprocally beneficial. Also, cooperation and alliances with the government, corporate and civil society institutions are secured for the extension and promotion of the practical and quality-oriented education and research delivered by MDS. On a specific basis, MDS networks with other national and international academic and development institutions to broaden and refine its education and research. Doing so, the wider environment comprehensively and continuously reaps the academic fruits from MDS and in return MDS remains sustainably innovative, resourceful and responsive at both local and global levels. MDS enthusiastically believes that its academic merits and virtues are systematically nurtured by its relevance as well as responsiveness to the larger society’s actual needs and interests.

Mission

To accomplish this vision, the program will:

1. Deliver innovative and responsive interdisciplinary education and research output of high quality;
2. Educate students to develop both intellectual and cognitive capabilities which are analytical, critical, creative, systematic, critical and independent; and
3. Provide initiatives to both staff and students to research practical and relevant development issues which are prominent and applicable for academics and practitioners alike.

Objectives

The objectives of the Master of Arts in Development Studies program are as follows:

1. To instill in students a thorough and in-depth comprehension of the contemporary theory and practice of development, emphasizing why and how the social, economic, political and cultural dimensions are relevant to development;
2. To train students to become intellectually and technically competent in both quantitative and qualitative research and to apply them in diverse fields, stressing originality, relevance and practicality;
3. To develop students’ capacity to interrelate theory with reality, to reason logically, and to present arguments convincingly; and
4. To inspire students to be professional researchers and practitioners of quality, creativity and flexibility in the area of development, both nationally and internationally.

Rationale

The MDS program is committed to delivering an array of courses in relation to development, including economics, politics, law, education, cultural studies and civil society. Moreover, given the fact that Cambodia is one of the least developed countries, where approximately thirty-four percent of the population lives below the poverty line, MDS stands pivotal in a sense that this program will raise the awareness of students of the complicated development issues confronting the country so that they are able to contribute efficiently and effectively to poverty-eradication endeavors. This awareness of development complexities becomes even more crucial for Cambodia as it becomes increasingly incorporated into the South East Asian region and the world.

Approval

The MDS program at RUPP has been authorized by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport under Edict (Prakas) No. 1152 dated 29 July 2005.