Special Master Track Sustainable Development Diplomacy (SDD) in

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1 SDD Track Special Master Track Sustainable Development Diplomacy (SDD) in MCL: MSc Climate Studies (within thesis track ) MES: MSc Sciences (within thesis track ) MFN: MSc Forest and Nature Conservation (within specialization and Society) MID: MSc Development Studies (within specialization Sociology of Development) No rights may be derived from this information brochure.

2 MSc Track Sustainable Development Diplomacy (SDD) Introduction Sustainable Development Diplomacy is a special track within the master programs Climate Studies (MCL), Sciences (MES), Forest and Nature Conservation (MFN) and Development Studies (MID) of Wageningen University, the Netherlands (hereafter referred to as the SDD master programs ). This special track was designed in cooperation with the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy of Tufts University, Cambridge, Mass., USA (abbreviated as Fletcher below), the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs (abbreviated as EZ), and the Sustainability Challenge Foundation (SCF). The purpose of the program is to provide (future) academics, practitioners and leaders in the public, private and non-profit sectors a combination of theory and practice of international diplomacy and negotiations in the field of sustainable development, allowing them to better understand, analyze and tackle the world s most challenging problems. Rationales for this SDD master track are (at least) threefold: academic, normative and pragmatic. Firstly, new types of diplomacy seems to emerge on amongst others sustainability issues, sometimes referred to as the new diplomacy, inclusive diplomacy, informal diplomacy or guerilla diplomacy. These terms refer to other ways of doing international negotiations than through the traditional, nation state, foreign affairs and international security oriented diplomacy. Some authors claim that this new diplomacy is very different from the traditional one. It is multi-actor (including non-state actors in international negotiations), multi-level (local issues and actors do appear at international negotiation tables, just as global issues and actors do), multi-rule (soft law is currently considered as relevant as hard law) and multi-sector (going beyond security issues and single issues, an example being sustainable development). Indeed, non-state actors are now allowed to play their roles in international diplomacy (think about NGOs and their impact on international treaties), whereas private or public-private instruments to address sustainability issues are emerging (e.g. certification schemes for sustainable products, payment for ecosystem services, REDD+, etc.). However, the nature of this new diplomacy is neither well understood nor are its claims rigorously tested. Academic research and teaching are therefore badly needed (academic rationale). Secondly, current global issues climate change, deforestation, desertification, food shortages, etc. are challenging the world s organizational and institutional capacity to address them. In fact, we appear to be confronted today not with a single crisis, but with multiple ones, from the financial to the ecological crisis. The international community has agreed, since the Rio Summit in 1992, that sustainable development should be the road to navigate out of these crises. This approach, though, implies both intra- and 2

3 intergenerational equity as well as the maintenance of the carrying capacity of the earth. Yet governments alone are not capable of engaging in the negotiations of diplomacy and creating the institutions of governance that are required to move towards these objectives. New ways of diplomacy and new innovative governance arrangements seem therefore needed to better attain these goals. Such diplomacy and governance should, according to some scholars, be much more inclusive for stakeholders, more evidence-based, more cross-sectoral, integrative rather than distributive and addressing the real root causes of sustainability issues (normative rationale). Thirdly, many alumni of Wageningen University continue their careers at international negotiation institutions, like the EU or the UN. Or they become involved for example as mediators in sustainability conflicts among stakeholders at local levels in Europe, Africa or Latin-America. Yet they are neither educated in knowledge and theories of negotiations and diplomacy nor trained in related skills. This master track fills this gap (pragmatic rationale). SDD track main elements Currently, the track is embedded in four master programs (MCL, MES, MFN, MID). For each master, a specific SDD trajectory is developed, sharing a number of joint elements. The specific master trajectories are presented in the annexes below, whereas the joint SDD elements are listed here: 1. Consultancy (ENP-60312; 12 ECTS; M1, P2; substitutes regular Academic Consultancy Training plus Modular Skills Training). 2. (ENP-30306; 6 ECTS; M1, P4). 3. Personal Leadership and Effectiveness Wednesday M1, P3 or P5) 4. Advanced (ENP-39306; 6 ECTS; M1, P6). 5. Internships (to be organized by the SDD students themselves, but facilitated by WU, Fletcher, EZ and the World Bank; 24 ECTS; M2, P1-2). 6. Evaluation Internship and Thesis Proposal (M2, P3-4) 7. SDD major thesis at WU (for MFN with the chair group Forest and Nature Conservation, FNP; 36 ECTS; M2, P 3-6)(for MCL, MES and MID with the chair group, ENP; 33 ECTS; M2, P 3-6) Target group The track is eligible for MCL (thesis track ), MES (thesis track ), MFN (Specialization & Society) and MID (Specialization Sociology of Development) students who express their interest in and commitment to the topic of SDD, and exhibit basic knowledge and skills in this field. These requirements are tested in a selection procedure in which all students have to write a motivation letter and submit an extended CV. In a next step, the most promising candidates will be selected for 3

4 a short interview after which the final group of students for the SDD track will be selected. Learning outcomes The learning outcomes are those of the regular SDD master programs (see Study Handbook Wageningen University, ). Within this context, we distinguish more specific learning outcomes for this SDD track, divided in three sections: core, content and science. These sections emphasize that the track focuses on: (1) the negotiation of sustainable development agreements, or the resolution of sustainability conflicts, at various scales (core), (2) for which students should master a body of knowledge and skills (content) and (3) for which they should be able to conduct research and write a master thesis (science). Graduates are expected to be able to: Core: 1. Demonstrate insight into the nature of (inter)national and local diplomacy, negotiation and conflict resolution processes; 2. Demonstrate negotiation skills and diplomatic attitudes in multiple settings (from local to global); Content: 3. Understand (inter)national political, policy and governance processes by appropriate knowledge of social science theories; 4. Demonstrate thorough knowledge and understanding of sustainable development; Science: 5. Formulate a research proposal at master level, scientifically analyze (inter)national or local SDD processes and report on that. In order to perform these tasks, graduates from this track are expected to be able to: 6. Handle intercultural aspects of negotiations and diplomacy; 7. Clearly present, both orally and in writing, policy proposals, mutual gains options, and (intermediate) agreements in negotiations and diplomacy; 8. Initiate, stimulate and support working parties and committees; 9. Reflect on the ethical aspects of the negotiation process and the implications of its results. 4

5 Planning The track is announced in the Study handbook. The first specific SDD element in the master programs starts in Period 2. Therefore, in Period 1, an information meeting is organized each year, after which the selection procedure immediately starts. If you consider participating in SDD, you can best contact the study advisor of your MSc program at the earliest possible time. Students who will pass the final examination will receive a specific SDD master track certificate, besides their regular master program diploma. Costs The SDD master track program might come with additional costs for students, for example if one conducts both an internship at the UN in New York and a master thesis research in South Africa. However, no specific SDD scholarships are available, unfortunately. Students should be willing and able to finance the track themselves, or find regular scholarships. Information 1. Master programs study advisors. 2. SDD Coordinator Prof. dr. Bas Arts, Chair of the Forest and Nature Conservation Group, Wageningen University, the Netherlands, bas.arts@wur.nl,

6 SDD Track SDD Track MCL / morning Period 1 (Sep-Oct) Introduction to Global Change (ESA-23306) Period 2 (Nov-Dec) Period 3 (Jan) Period 4 (Feb) Period 5 (March-April) Climate Governance (ENP-36306) Period 6 (May-June) / afternoon Principles of Earth and Ecosystem Science (ESS-21306) Consultancy (ENP-60312) Quantitative Research Methodology and Statistics (MAT-22306) Personal Leadership and Effectiveness policy (ENP ) study Personal Leadership and Effectiveness Optional course in consultation and agreement with study Advanced (ENP ) Master year 2 Internship (24 credits) at: Any relevant organization (to be facilitated and approved by SDD coordination) SDD major thesis at WU (ENP-80436) [1] You can either take this module in period 3 or 5 afternoon.

7 SDD Track MES [1] / morning Period 1 (Sep-Oct) Research methods in sciences (YRM ) Period 2 (Nov-Dec) Period 3 (Jan) Period 4 (Feb) Period 5 (March-April) Sociological Perspectives on Change (ENP ) Period 6 (May-June) / afternoon Principles of Sciences (ESA-20806) Consultancy (ENP60312) (ACT) Choice of course in consultation and agreement with study Personal Leadership and Effectiveness policy (ENP ) Quality and Governance (ENP ) Personal Leadership and Effectiveness Choice of course in consultation and agreement with study Advanced (ENP ) Master year 2 Internship (24 credits) at: Any relevant organization (to be facilitated and approved by SDD coordination) SDD major thesis at WUR (ENP-80436) [1] You can either take this module in period 3 or 5 afternoon. 7

8 SDD Track MFN (within Spec. A) / morning / afternoon Period 1 (Sep-Oct) Research methods in sciences (YRM ) Trends in forest and nature conservation (REG-31306) [3] Period 2 (Nov-Dec) Key lectures Theoretical perspectives (FNP-31806) [2] Consultancy (ENP-60312) Period 3 (Jan) Communities, conservation and development (FNP-31306) Personal Leadership and Effectiveness Period 4 (Feb) policy (ENP ) Period 5 (March-April) Sustainable development: integrating worldviews, disciplines and practices (PPS ) study Personal Leadership and Effectiveness Period 6 (May-June) Methodology for Field research in the social sciences (SDC-33306) Advanced (ENP ) Assignment FNP Master year 2 Internship (24 credits) at: Any relevant organization (to be facilitated and approved by SDD coordination) SDD major thesis at WUR (FNP-80436) [1] You can either take this module in period 3 or 5 afternoon. [2] What parts of FNP need to be followed in periods 3 and 5 is to be discussed with the course and track coordinators. 8

9 SDD Track MID (within Spec. A Sociology of Development) SDD Track MID [1] Period 1 (Sep-Oct) Period 2 (Nov-Dec) Period 3 (Jan) Period 4 (Feb) Period 5 (March-April) Period 6 (May-June) (week 37-40) + (week 41-44) / morning / afternoon Theory and Practice of Development (SDC-31806) [2] study [3] study [3] Consultancy (ENP ) Sociology in Development: Towards a Critical Perspective (SDC-32806) (ENP-30306) Sociological Perspectives on Change (ENP-32806) AND ECS Personal Leadership and Effectiveness study [3] Ethics course [1] If required by study advisor: Methodology for Field Research in the Social Sciences (SDC-33306) [3] Optional course in consultation and agreement with study [3] Ethics course [1] Advanced (ENP-39306) Master year 2 Internship (ENP-70424) at: Any relevant organization (to be facilitated and approved by SDD coordination) SDD Thesis at WUR (ENP-80433) [1] In addition to the track elements in the schedule, students need to take YSS Seminar and CPT Ethics and Social Science or CPT Food Ethics to fulfill the requirements of the MID programme.[2] SDC-31806: for students with another background than the BSc Development Studies of Wageningen University.[3] Dependent on the educational background the study advisor can determine that certain courses are obligatory for a student. 9