Development Studies represent an extraordinary dynamic field of study. New development issues such as global warming arise and new actors such as East Asian countries enter the field drawing lessons from their own development experiences. Diverging views on causes of, and remedies for, development guarantee lively debates. Within Europe, one can find interesting differences between countries in their approaches to de­velopment practice and to Development Studies.
The Coimbra Group Development Master Initiative aims to provide students with the best possible entry into contemporary Development Studies by linking a number of programmes of prominent European uni­versities. Students are given the possibility to migrate between the participating universities in order to gain specialist knowledge in specific fields and in order to experience alternative approaches to development. Students can thus explore different cultural backgrounds already during the university studies. Each of the European programmes also has its own links to partner universities in countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia, thus opening diverse windows for students for internships and thesis research. Thereby the CGDMI provides students with a very good basis for a career in international cooperation and in internationally operating organisations.
The universities participating in the CGDMI are: Università degli Studi di Bologna, University of Groningen, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Université Catholoque de Louvain, Università degli Studi di Padova, Université de Poitiers, Universidad de Salamanca, Università degli Studi di Siena.
The format of the CGDMI is such that students remain registered with their home university and have access to the special 30 EC course packages of the other participating universities. This format, using Erasmus Programme exchange, avoids administrative complications. In addition, the CGDMI organizes a joint Intensive Programme each year for all students participating on the network, which provides for a highly valued interactive learning experience. It is also linked to the bi-annual Coimbra Group Summer School on a specific topical issue in development. Successful finalisation of the CGDMI programme is rewarded with the Coimbra Group Certificate, issued by home University.

Annual EU Intensive Programme
The Erasmus Intensive Programme of CGDMI gathers students and teaching staff of the participating universities into a joint seminar focusing each year on a different topical issues in Development. The IP is held in summer, lasting 11 days. Participants’ expenditure (travel and subsistence) are covered by the European Union.

The IP consists of 3 parts
1) A preliminary Distance Learning acquaintance session. This supplies information on the development topic of the IP and relevant case studies and give students the chance to share views and expectations about the topic.
2) A residential seminar. The seminar is centred around five different although interrelated activities, namely:
(a) keynotes lectures: such lectures are meant to outline elements of a relevant theoretical framework and the core methodological approaches to gather key data and to discuss case study results;
(b) field work survey: participants will collect empirical information and reflect upon such activity both individually and in small groups;
(c) group work: participants will discuss the empirical information collected and their field notes and they will be provided feed-back by both fellow participants and faculty;
(d) round table with stakeholders of the location of the IP: in order to integrate the local actor’s views into the analysis of the IP theme;
(e) elaboration of final reports by the students.
3) A follow-up on-line session. This session is intended to provide overall feedback, to elaborate on the results of the residential seminar.

The IP is rewarded with 5 EC by the participating universities. A final certificate of attendance is provided by the organizing Universities to students who followed the whole programme.
IP 2011: Local development and industrial delocalization. In Padova (Italy) and Arad (Romania).
IP 2012: Land Issues in the Age of Globalisation. In Szeged (Hungary).
IP 2013: Water management in Development processes. In Salamanca (Spain).

Department Project Coordinator
Professor Pierpaolo Faggi