The Global Campus South East Europe – European Regional Master’s Programme in Democracy and Human Rights in South East Europe (GCSEE/ERMA) is a one year, full time, interdisciplinary programme, lasting from November until October. Its aim is the development of democracy and human rights in South East Europe. It is a joint initiative by the University of Sarajevo (UNSA), Center for Interdisciplinary Studies and the University of Bologna (UNIBO), Department of Political and Social Sciences. GC SEE/ERMA is co-financed by the European Union through the Global Campus of Human Rights. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy, via the Italian Cooperation Agency (AICS), also kindly supported the program implementation for 20 years. The Programme awards students with 60 ECTS and a double-degree diploma of both founding universities (UNSA and UNIBO).
GCSEE/ERMA is intended for students who wish to combine studies with practical and field research experience in human rights and democratization issues. Recognizing that human rights are a crosscutting theme among different disciplines of study, such as political science, social sciences, law, sociology, and philosophy, the program fosters strong interdisciplinary approach. Enrolled students have the benefit of studying in a highly international environment together with colleagues from all over the region, European Union and rest of the world, attending lectures and workshops held by over 30 lecturers from 11 partner universities: University of Bologna, University of Sarajevo, University of Banja Luka, University of Belgrade, Karl Franzens University of Graz, University of the Ruhr, University of Peloponnese, University of Zagreb, New Bulgarian University, University Ss. Cyril and Methodius, and University of Pristina, as well as other partners from the Global Campus of Human Rights network.
GC SEE/ERMA is a part of the EU funded Global Campus of Human Rights, a unique network of more than one hundred participating universities around the world, seeking to advance human rights and democracy through regional and global cooperation for education and research. It provides our students and Alumni with several unique opportunities for advancing research and publishing skills, as well as their professional skills, such as the Global Classroom, a week-long conference which brings together students and professors from all regional hubs to present their research on a topic of common interest and GC Human Rights Journal (GC HRJ), a peer-reviewed bi-annual publication serving as a forum for rigorous scholarly analysis critical commentaries, and reports on recent developments pertaining to human rights and democratization globally as well as the GC Internship stipend for the most successful students for 6 months after the graduation, boosting their employability.
STRUCTURE AND CONTENTS
The GC SEE/ERMA Programme is a highly intensive one-year master, implemented from October until the end of September each academic year. To obtain the degree, students must attend and actively participate in a minimum of 80% of the academic and practical activities.
I SEMESTER (30 ECTS)
- PHILOSOPHY AND THEORY OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY
- NATIONALISM, IDENTITY, AND CONFLICT
- DEMOCRATISATION AND EU INTEGRATION
- UN AND EUROPEAN HUMAN RIGHTS SYSTEMS
- RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES
II SEMESTER ( 30 ECTS)
- PEACE AND HUMAN RIGHTS
- ELECTIVE COURSE ( CHILDREN’S RIGHTS, MIGRATION AND HUMAN RIGHTS, ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS AND GLOBAL CHALLENGES)
- INTERNSHIP
- THESIS WRITING AND DEFENCE
COURSES
Courses take place at the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies of the University of Sarajevo, starting from mid-October. Students are taught by lecturers from the 11 participating universities, as well as experts from IGOs and NGOs. In the first semester there are 4 thematic courses, and the Research methodologies course, together awarding 30 ECTS. In the second semester there is one thematic course (5 ECTS) , and one elective course (3 ECTS) that students choose out of three offered. Alongside the lectures, students visit state institutions, intergovernmental organizations, and NGOs active in the field of human rights and democracy in Sarajevo and other cities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, such as Mostar and Srebrenica.
INTERNSHIP
The one month mandatory internship is designated for students to acquire professional experience in the field of human rights and democracy throughout the SEE. It aims to boost their mobility and international experience, and enables their field research for MA thesis. Students take up 4 week internships at selected IGOs, NGOs, think-tanks, and research institutes across the region in May. Over the years more than 100 partner organizations from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Kosovo*, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia hosted and trained our students as their interns. The internship awards 7 ECTS.
THESIS WRITING AND DEFENCE
ERMA students spend the Thesis writing period in June/July at the University of Bologna (UNIBO), one of the 200 top universities in the world, and the leading university in Europe for international mobility. At the place of residence in Italy the students are provided with study rooms, computer labs, library facilities and access to the University of Bologna student services.
During this time students focus on thesis writing, attend short seminars and lectures, enjoy living together, and also travel around Italy for short excursions and field visits. For 4 weeks students are accommodated at the Bologna`s University Residential Center of Bertinoro (CEUB). The University of Bologna Residential Centre is located in the picturesque medieval town of Bertinoro, Emilia-Romagna, rich in history and popular traditions, situated in Central Italy. At the end of the period, students submit the final working version for authenticity checkup and supervisors final suggestions/comments. Final theses are submited by the begining of September.
Defences are held at the University of Sarajevo in September.
RESEARCH DIMENSION
ERMA students have a course on scientific research and academic writing, giving foundations for conducting field research and MA thesis writing. To gain a deeper understanding of the regional dimensions of issues connected to human rights and democratization, students are strongly encouraged to write the MA thesis on countries other than those of their citizenship or do comparative studies on the countries of the SEE region. Students are encouraged to explore topical issues related to human rights and democratic development in the SEE region. During their internship, students conduct field research for the thesis.
Throughout the programme students are assisted in their academic development by the academic tutors of the program, selected and employed among the most successful graduates. They organize consultations, workshops, study visits, and field trips and work with students individually, from the inception of their research projects until the thesis submission and Thesis defense.
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