Master of Leadership for Development  course launched in partnership with The University of Melbourne

The 100% online course, which will commence in March 2021, aims to strengthen the leadership capacity of professionals working in the global development sector and will be delivered jointly by The University of Manchester’s Global Development Institute (GDI) and the University of Melbourne’s School of Social and Political Sciences (SSPS).

The collaboration is a flagship initiative of Melbourne’s ‘International Strategy 2017 – 2020’, which enables students to benefit from two world-class institutions and each university to reach new markets. 

Melbourne’s academic team will be led by Dr Violeta Schubert, lecturer in development studies.

“The unique space of development calls for a different way of thinking about leadership,” Dr Schubert says. “There is great advantage in having a combined approach, across two world-class institutions. Working together, Manchester and Melbourne are able to offer incredible richness and depth in terms of case studies, expertise and a more holistic pedagogy.”

“Between us, we also have extensive links with industry, and students will be connected to global development thinkers, practitioners and influencers.”

The course is designed to respond to a changing global environment and build the leadership knowledge and capacity of managers, planners, policymakers, consultants, educators, entrepreneurs, researchers and community advocates working in or alongside the global development sector.

Dr Jaco Renken, Global Development Institute at the University of Manchester said: “I’m delighted to be collaborating with the University of Melbourne on this online Master of Leadership for Development. This first-of-its-kind innovative course will play a significant role in developing the necessary skills to make a real impact in key areas of international development such as poverty alleviation, addressing inequality, delivering social development and generally making the world a better place for all."

He added, “I believe the legacy of a course of this nature has the potential to be far-reaching”.

It will give students the opportunity to access resources from each institution, build international connections and study from anywhere in the world.

Professor Mark Considine, Provost at the University of Melbourne, said: “We are thrilled to join with the University of Manchester to offer this exciting new program. Each institution brings their global expertise to this joint degree making it a compelling offer."

“Global development couldn’t be more important than at this time and we are excited that our first collaboration with Manchester has the potential to make a tangible difference. We look forward to seeing the first cohort use their newly developed skills and global connections to positively impact communities around the world.”

Professor April McMahon, University of Manchester Vice-President for Teaching, Learning and Students stated: “We are excited to enter into this partnership with the University of Melbourne, building on our existing research links to collaborate on joint teaching programs in a flexible learning space. We hope Leadership for Development will be the first of many similar collaborations.”

The University of Manchester’s GDI has been at the forefront of Development Studies for the last 60 years and spearheads the University’s efforts to tackle global inequalities. It ranks first in Europe and third in the world for impact on the Sustainable Development Goals. 

Melbourne’s SSPS is also a well-established school and ranked 18th in the world for Development Studies (QS World University Rankings, 2019).