According to the educational structure of the Master, the Second Term is designated for students to acquire working experience in the field of human rights and democracy throughout the SEE, boosting their mobility and international experience, and most importantly, conducting their research and data gathering related to the MA thesis topic. In this framework, from mid-June to the end of July, students take up six-week internships at selected IGOs, NGOs, think tanks, and research institutes across the region.
The internship period takes place in a country other than the country of citizenship of the student. This decision aims at the promotion of diversity and intercultural communication, understanding, and adaptability to different working standards, which is a prerequisite for experts aiming to work in the field of human rights.
ERMA Term II is conceived to be strictly correlated with the MA thesis topic. Both the choice of the country and the organization should be taken in accordance with the topic of each student’s research interests and needs. The students are expected to choose the organization which is the most suitable to conduct their research and data gathering necessary for the MA Thesis writing process that will take place during Term III in Italy.
At the same time, the international experience granted by the internship helps the students to develop professional expertise in an intercultural environment and promote the mobility of human capital in the region. Moreover, it allows students to advance their research and analytical skills, as well as providing them with the opportunity to establish a professional network.
This placement period is aimed at fostering ERMA students’ professionalization and providing the chance to apply their knowledge of human rights and democracy. During the internship, the students are expected to carry out their tasks with responsibility and contribute to the work of the organization actively. The internship is worth 10 ECTS.
Over the years more than 100 organizations from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia hosted ERMA students as their interns.
