ADMISSION 2024-2025
Two-year English-language MA program of the Faculty of Political Science, University of Bucharest
Register ONLINE between the 1st and 18th of JULY 2024* via the platform accessible from https://fsp.unibuc.ro/en/ma-admission/
* NOTE: This calendar is only for citizens of the European Union / European Economic Area / Switzerland / UK and long term residents of EU. The registration of applications from candidates who have a different legal status is managed directly by the International Relations Office of the University of Bucharest (more details and the full calendar for non-EU citizens is available at https://unibuc.ro/international/studenti-internationali/admitere-master/?lang=en)
Career opportunities
The program prepares future professionals of public affairs for higher adaptability to multicultural and increasingly digital work environments, while contributing to advancing the local, national and global sustainable development and social responsibility efforts.
Among the very few of its kind in the world and unique in both Romania and the region, the program focuses on professional and individualized training, with about 80% of the instruction time allocated to seminars, policy workshops, internships, individual tutoring and professional mentoring.
The areas of interest and specialization for the practical part of the program focus largely on:
DIPLOMACY track: public diplomacy, cultural diplomacy, digital diplomacy
GLOBAL AFFAIRS track: sustainable development, humanitarian affairs
EUROPEAN AFFAIRS track: European Union institutions and policies
CIVIL SOCIETY track: international NGOs, social movements
INDUSTRY track: public-private partnerships for creative industries, the social and environmental sustainability of companies
Apart from an individual academic supervisor for the entire duration of their studies, all students have access to different mentors from partner institutions in the field of international public affairs which are active in Romania or abroad.
In addition, students are also fully integrated into projects within which they are required to develop solutions to real problems of the partner institutions.
Almost each week, guest experts from Romania or abroad offer lectures and small group seminars that help students familiarize with the challenges of the current labour market and provide more specific knowledge and/or skills.
More specifically, the program creates and develops expertise in international public affairs particularly (but not exclusively) for
the international relations, public communication or social responsibility units of
the institutions and specialized agencies of the United Nations (UN) system;
the institutions and specialized agencies of the European Union (EU);
intergovernmental organizations;
ministries or agencies of the central public administration;
the local public administration;
non-governmental organizations;
the administrative and technical staff of embassies and cultural institutes;
the governmental and non-governmental organizations active in priority areas for the global UN agenda;
think-tanks or free-lance political consultancy in international affairs.
In addition, the program provides the opportunity to develop specific expertise and skills which are currently in high demand for
the implementation of the United Nations agenda 2015-2030 (Sustainable Development Goals - SDGs), especially in matters related to the coordination, analysis and evaluation of public policies and strategies for sustainable development;
the creation, monitoring and evaluation of the social and environmental sustainability reports legally required in the European Union for all companies with more than 500 employees, as part of their corporate social responsibility strategies.
Calendar JULY 2024
For citizens of EU (including ROMANIA), Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, UK, as well as for refugees, diplomatic staff and persons holding long time residence in a EU country:
REGISTRATION: 1-18 JULY - ONLINE (at https://fsp.unibuc.ro/en/ma-admission/) or between 15-18 July (9:00 am - 2:00 pm) at the secretariat of the Faculty of Political Science, University of Bucharest (36-46, Mihail Kogalniceanu blvd - check Google map here)
COMPREHENSION TEST (online): 19 JULY, 17:30 (Bucharest time zone, UTC+3). The results, the list of candidates admitted for the interview and the timetable for interviews will be published several hours later.
INTERVIEW (online): 22-23 JULY
CONFIRMATIONS: 25-26 JULY
at the the secretariat of the Faculty of Political Science, University of Bucharest (36-46, Mihail Kogalniceanu blvd - check Google map here); or
online - only if admitted on a fee-paying place or if the original documents have been already submitted physically at the faculty's secretariat
ATTENTION! Without confirmation, the candidate is no longer considered admitted.
What will I study?
Among the very few of its kind in the world and unique in both Romania and the region, the program focuses on professional and individualized training, with about 80% of the instruction time allocated to seminars, policy workshops, internships, individual tutoring and professional mentoring.
FOUNDATIONAL MODULE
Introduction to the Global Agenda of International Public Affairs: Concepts, Institutions, and Analytical Tools (1st semester)
Emergent Global Challenges (1st semester)
Comparative Political Systems: Major Concepts and Analytical Tools (1st semester)
Elements of National and Transnational Constitutionalism (1st semester)
CORE CONCEPTS, ANALYTICAL COMPETENCE & POLICY WORKSHOP MODULES
UNIQUE Civic technology: Citizen Experience Design for Public Services, organized with Code4Romania (1st & 2nd semesters)
NEW 2024 & UNIQUE Gastro-Diplomacy and the International Politics of Food (2nd semester)
NEW 2024 Environmental politics (2nd semester)
UNIQUE Cultural Affairs and Creative Industries in an Interconnected World (3rd semester)
Public Policy in Comparative Perspective: Major Concepts and Analytical Tools (2nd semester)
Public and Social Policies: Contemporary puzzles (2nd semester)
Fundamentals of Contemporary Diplomacy and Foreign Policy Analysis (2nd semester)
Public Opinion, Social Movements and Civil Society Organizations in International Contexts (3rd semester)
SKILLS & TRAINING MODULES
Critical Reasoning for International Public Affairs (1st semester)
Research Design, Methods, Techniques, and Digital Tools for International Public Affairs (2nd semester)
International Project Writing, Management and Evaluation (3rd semester)
INDIVIDUALIZED PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
Professional Seminar and Mentoring
Preparing a Professional Candidacy for the Job Market (1st semester)
Media, Public Relations, Lobby and Advocacy (2nd semester)
Writing and Presenting for International Audiences (4th semester)
Academic Tutoring (2nd & 3rd semesters)
Capstone Project Tutoring (4th semester)
PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOPS (series of specialized seminars with guests)
Labour relations, civil society and public administration in international contexts (4th semester)
International Public Affairs Experiences: EU, international organizations and the corporate sector (4th semester)
INTERNSHIP MODULES
Professional Team Project (3rd semester): All students are integrated in team projects organized with different institutional partners from the civil society and governmental sectors
Institutions and Actors of International Public Affairs (4th semester)
Strategies, Tools and Practices of International Public Affairs (4th semester)
EXTRA CREDITS
Foreign languages (Chinese, French or German)
UNIQUE Cultural Management Academy (summer activity, organized with Goethe Institute Bucharest and EUNIC)
UNIQUE European Investment Bank summer school, organized in Luxembourg with the European Investment Bank (summer activity)
UNIQUE EU as a Global Digital Actor (2nd semester)
UNIQUE Digital diplomacy (virtual module and seminars with guests, 4th semester)
In focus (special short modules with guest experts, each semester)
CAPSTONE PROJECT
Instead of an MA thesis, at the end of the program students are required to defend publicly a capstone project (i.e. application of the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the program to examine or evaluate a specific real life problem).
How will I study?
All classes are scheduled during the weekdays after 17:30 (Bucharest time zone). Some courses have weekly sessions, while others are delivered in a modular form concentrated in one or several periods of the semester.
Most classes will be in face-to-face format, from Monday to Thursday, but some modules and seminars, especially those with foreign guests and experts from sectors outside academia, may take place online and/or in different intervals, pending upon the guest availability.
From time to time, special short / intensive courses, seminar activities and study visits in partner institutions and organizations may be scheduled on Fridays (any time of the day between 9:00 and 20:30).
Occasional alumni meetings and other special networking and teambuilding optional activities may be scheduled during the weekends.
The timetable is published at the beginning of each semester.
Semesters 1, 2 and 3 have each 14 weeks of classes, professional seminars and practical activities, while semester 4 has 10 weeks of practical activities, professional seminars and capstone project tutoring.
The academic year starts on the 1st of October and ends on the 30th of September (the period includes the teaching semesters, the examination sessions and the various holidays).
Class materials are available in digital format for all courses.
In case restrictions due to a new pandemic wave are suddenly reimposed, all courses have the required digital infrastructure for a fast temporary shift to online teaching.
What is a capstone project?
Instead of an MA thesis, at the end of the 2-year program students are required to defend publicly a capstone project. This is a written analysis based on at least one year of research and which uses the knowledge and skills acquired in the program to examine or evaluate a specific real life problem and provide a feasible solution to it.
Capstone projects can be written for a specific institution or designed to address the needs of a larger sector.
To develop such projects, students have a tutor at the Faculty of Political Science, University of Bucharest, and, if designed for an institutional partner, a mentor in the respective institution.
UNIQUE Capstone projects for the European Investment Bank
Starting with the 2022-2023 academic year, students can contribute to a capstone project built for the European Investment Bank (EIB), the "financial arm" and "climate bank" of the European Union. At the end of the project, this will be defended also in Luxembourg, at the EIB headquarters.
ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITY Double degree option
Up to 5 candidates admitted in 2024-2025 will be able to enroll also in a double degree option offered with University of Urbino's Master “International Politics, Society and Economics". These students will spend their 3rd semester of studies (2025-2026) in Urbino, studying in English, and will benefit from tutoring from staff from the two universities. After the successful defence of their capstone projects in front of teaching staff from both universities, they will be awarded the master degrees from both universities.
Academic contact point at the University of Bucharest (Romania): Assoc. Prof. Luciana Alexandra GHICA (luciana.ghica@unibuc.ro)
Academic contact point at the University of Urbino (Italy): Prof. Luigi CECCARINI (luigi.ceccarini@uniurb.it)
UNIQUE Team internships with leading organizations
During the 3rd semester, all students are enrolled in special team internships with one of our institutional partners. Each year we add new partners and projects. Among our traditional partners are Code4Romania, CONCORDIA, Făgăraș Research Institute, FOND Romania, Funky Citizens & MozaiQ
UNIQUE Civic Technology: Citizen Experience Design for Public Services
Developed with Code4Romania, the leading hub for digital innovation for the public services in Romania, this course is unique in Romania and one of the very few of its kind in the world. Offered for the first time in 2021/2022 as a pilot module within the MIPA program, since 2022/2023 it is part of its mandatory curriculum. Following its success, including the subsequent employment in the field of students who enrolled in it, from 2023/2024 it is offered as a year-long experience to all students of the program.
UNIQUE Digital Diplomacy & EU as a Global Digital Actor
Between 2022 and 2025, the EU-funded consortium Digital Diplomacy: Building the Common Future with Technology (DD-TECH) develops a set of tools for teaching digital diplomacy, including an open access English-language module that can be used as an e-module or a blended-learning module.
The DD-Tech consortium brings together 6 European universities - Istanbul University (leading partner | consortium coordinator: Özgün ERLER BAYIR), Catholic University of the Sacred Heart Milan (Italy), Istanbul Commerce University (Turkey), University of Bucharest (Romania), University of Ljubljana (Slovenia), and University of Tartu (Estonia), which will also be the first to include the module in their curricula.
At the University of Bucharest, the MA in International Public Affairs (MIPA) program will be the first to offer the module in 2025-2026. Pilot versions of it are already offered for credits during the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 academic years.
Pending upon funding requests (the results of which will be known in September 2024), a special course on EU as a Global Digital actor, will also be offered for extra-credits in the 2nd semester starting with the the 2024-2025 academic year. This course is designed and instructed with the support of members of the DD-Tech team, as well as other experts from different countries.
NEW 2024 Environmental Politics / Gastro-Diplomacy and the International Politics of Food
Starting with the 2024-2025, students can also choose during the 2nd semester between two new optional courses: Environmental Politics and Gastro-Diplomacy and the International Politics of Food. If they wish, students can also enroll in both, choosing one of them for extra-credits. The courses are offered also to the larger CIVIS network of European university to which the University of Bucharest is part (https://civis.eu/en/discover-civis/the-civis-alliance/university-of-bucharest)
Who can candidate?
Any person holding a BA degree can candidate, irrespective of the previous field of studies.
Candidates who are citizens of any EU state (including Romania), citizens of Liechtenstein, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland or UK, as well as persons who hold the long term residence of any EU country should apply directly at the Faculty of Political Science, University of Bucharest. For all these the registration is available online between 1st and 18th of July at https://fsp.unibuc.ro/en/ma-admission/ OR between 15-18 July (9:00 am - 2:00 pm) at the secretariat of the Faculty of Political Science, University of Bucharest (36-46, Mihail Kogalniceanu blvd - check Google map here).
The registration of applications from candidates who have a different legal status than the ones above is managed directly by the International Relations Office of the University of Bucharest (more details and the full calendar for them is available at https://unibuc.ro/international/studenti-internationali/admitere-master/?lang=en)
What documents do I need for the admission application?
1. Candidates who are citizens of Romania/EU/EEA/Switzerland/UK, refugees or persons with long term EU residence apply directly ONLINE or at the Secretariat of the Faculty of Political Science with the following documents:
Application form (for online submissions, available as part of the platform https://fsp.unibuc.ro/master/?locale=en; for submissions at the secretariat, hard-copy forms can be filled in on the spot)
Letter of intent in English (7000-character document briefly presenting the candidate's most important achievements, interests and projects so far, their career paths ideas and how this program could help develop one or more of these paths)
Baccalaureate or equivalent diploma attesting the successful completion of high school education
BA diploma or equivalent document attesting the successful completion of a BA degree
Birth certificate
Medical certificate
Identity document
ID card-type photograph - 3 pieces (if the application is online, they can be submitted physically during the confirmation stage but a digital photo should be submitted in the digital application)
Proof of payment of the registration fee
CV
Additional documents for special situations
For those whose birth name is different from the current name: proof of name change
For those who obtained their BA degree before 2024 and wish to candidate for a tuition-free place (if they have not already studied for a MA program in Romania on a tuition-free place): an affidavit through which the candidate declares whether or not they already benefitted from a tuition-free place for a MA program in a Romanian public university
For those who obtained the BA degree or the Baccalaureate outside the Romanian higher education system:
proof of equivalence/recognition; OR proof of submission of the equivalence/recognition documents to the University of Bucharest or to the Romanian Ministry of Education (MEN-CNRED)
EU/EEA declaration
More details about each of these documents and special situations are available on the general page for MA admissions on the website of the Faculty of Political Science, University of Bucharest at https://fsp.unibuc.ro/master/?locale=en
2. The admission procedure for candidates who are not in any of the categories above or are Ukrainian citizens are managed directly by the the International Relations Office of the University of Bucharest. The special calendar, documents and procedures are listed at https://unibuc.ro/international/studenti-internationali/admitere-master/?lang=en
Registration fees
For all candidates, except citizens of Ukraine:
If applying only to the MA in International Public Affairs: 200 RON (for those exempted from paying the fee: 0 RON)
If applying to two or more programs of the Faculty of Political Science, University of Bucharest: an additional 100 RON for each additional program (for those exempted from paying the fee for one program, only the additional fees will be paid).
The fee(s) can be paid as follows:
directly by credit card in the admission application; or
by bank card on https://po.unibuc.ro/master.php; or
by bank transfer/payment order to the account of the University of Bucharest IBAN: RO67RNCB0076010452620072, payment details: “FSPUB MA Admission July 2024”; or
at the secretariat of the Faculty of Political Science, University of Bucharest.
The proof of the exemption of the registration fee payment is a written request for exemption, signed by the candidate and approved by the President of the admission commission (currently the dean of the Faculty of Political Science, University of Bucharest, Alexandra Iancu - alexandra.iancu@unibuc.ro).
The candidates who require to be exempted from the payment of the admission fee must submit to the President of the admission commission one of the following documents, in addition to the written request:
Copies of the parents’ certificates of death (for orphans of both parents);
A certificate (adeverință) issued by an orphanage;
A certificate (adeverință) that attests that one (or both) of the legal tutors of the candidate is (are) an employed teacher(s) / professor(s);
A certificate (adeverință) that attests that one (or both) of the legal tutors of the applicant is(are) employee(s) of University of Bucharest.
If the request is approved, the President of the admission commission will mark the approval on the written request, which can then be submitted as part of the application.
Tuition fees
Students declared admitted on the TUITION-FREE places do not pay tuition fees in their first year of studies. According to law, based on academic performance, during the 2nd year they can maintain their TUITION-FREE status or they become TUITION-PAYING students.
Students declared admitted on the TUITION-PAYING places pay a yearly fee of 5520 RON (for all candidates who were admitted through the process administered directly by the Faculty of Political Science) or 2,750 EUR (for non-EU citizens, whose admission process is managed by the International Relations Office of the University of Bucharest). The fee can be paid in several installments throughout the academic year, taking into account the social context of the student.
The first installment of this annual fee will be paid by the future student as part of the procedures required to confirm their TUITION-PAYING place in the admission competition. If, following the confirmation procedures and lists updates, a candidate is declared admitted on a TUITION-FREE place after they had been declared previously admitted on a TUITION-PAYING place, this first installment will be reimbursed to the candidate.
According to current regulations, the following categories of candidates can be admitted on TUITION-FREE places:
Any Romanian or foreign citizen who has passed a Romanian BA graduation exam or an equivalent exam
Any EU / EEA / Swiss / UK or Ukrainian citizen who passed a BA graduation exam or an equivalent exam
Refugees, citizens with subsidiary protection and citizens holding a long-term residence permit on the territory of the European Union.
For the current admission session, the program can admit maximum 30 students, with students placed on the first 17 places guaranteed TUITION-FREE places. Nine places are reserved for separate admissions - 4 places reserved for non-EU students and 5 places reserved for the double-degree track for students admitted at the University of Urbino. The remaining 4 places can be transformed into TUITION-FREE places by the end of September, through the redistribution of funding from other master programs of the faculty or university. Given the previous years' experience, it is very likely that, except the places reserved for non-EU students, all places in this program are offered in 2024-2025 as tuition-free.
Candidates who already completed an MA program in a Romanian public university on a tuition-free place can be admitted only on a tuition-paying place.
Examination procedures
The evaluation of the application has three stages
basic linguistic skills evaluation (evaluation of the letter of intent included in the application - marked Pass/Fail)
comprehension skills test - 19 JULY 20242, 17:30 - Bucharest time (UTC+3): online evaluation of the comprehension, logical thinking and writing abilities, through several questions modeled on the Thinking Skills Assessment standard (TSA Oxford). At least 60 points required to be admitted to the interview
interview - 22 or 23 JULY 2024 (presentation of the letter of intent, with a focus on career options and suitability for the program - marked with grades from 1 to 10).
The grade for the interview represents the admission grade. Grades in the Romanian system range from 1 (minimum) to 10 (maximum). The minimum grade for admission in an MA program in Romanian according to current legal provisions is 6.
The online comprehension skills test
The test is modeled on the Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA) Oxford standard and is available through an online form.
The link to the form is sent to the candidates at least six hours before the opening time (19 JULY, 17:30) but the form's content can be accessed only on the 19th of JULY 2024 between 17:30 and 19:00 (Bucharest time zone, UTC+3).
The subjects require 60-80 min. of work.
On the first page of the form candidates are required to fill in the following information:
Email
Family name
First name
NATIONAL ID no. ("serie și număr carte de identitate" for Romanian citizens) or PASSPORT no. (passport number for non-Romanian citizens). Refugees or persons under other form of international legal protection write "N/A" in this section
SECURITY CODE
The individual SECURITY CODE for each application is sent via email to each candidate at least 6h before the opening time.
After the first page, there are several exercises that test the comprehension and critical thinking skills. In each exercise candidates are presented with a situation and a question about that situation. For each question candidate will have to choose one of the indicated potential answers. For some questions, the candidate should explain the reasoning.
All texts are in English and all the written assignments should be in English. We are not interested in testing the fine points of grammar (hence no points are deducted for minor language mistakes) but rather in clear and structured thinking, expressed in a highly intelligible English.
After the mandatory fields on the first page are filled in, candidates can navigate between sections at any time but when their work is finished they should press the "Submit" button, otherwise the test will not be recorded.
For technical troubles or questions before or during the exam, please write us at mipa@fspub.unibuc.ro
Each test is marked with maximum 100 points. At least 60 points are required to be admitted to the interview.
The interview
All candidates that pass the online comprehension test are invited to an interview in English (online). For the current session these are scheduled on the 22nd or 23rd of JULY 2024.
The grade for the interview represents the admission grade and is the basis for ranking the candidates. If two or more candidates have the same admission grade, they will be ranked, in this order, based on the points obtained at the comprehension test, the BA defence examination, cumulative GPA for the BA studies.
For technical difficulties with the online link, please contact us as soon as possible at mipa@fspub.unibuc.ro or contact directly the academic coordinators of the program (luciana.ghica@unibuc.ro, claudiu.tufis@unibuc.ro)
Confirmation procedures
All candidates declared admitted (tuition-free places, tuition-paying places or waiting list) should confirm their place through the submission of a Declaration of confirmation. Candidates who do not confirm their place are eliminated. Candidates who confirm their place may improve their ranking and position on these lists based on the number of eliminated applications before them. The confirmation period for the current session is scheduled for the 25th and the 26th of JULY but confirmations can be submitted also before the 25th of JULY, immediately after the results are published.
More details at https://fsp.unibuc.ro/en/ma-admission/
Teaching staff
All main FSPUB and associated teaching staff members hold a PhD in social sciences or humanities (political science/international relations, sociology, economy, law, philosophy or contemporary history) and have pursued postgraduate studies at top European and North American universities such as the Central European University, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS), London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), McGill University, Pennsylvania State University, Sciences Po (IEP Paris), University of Cambridge, University of Oxford and others.
Teaching staff of the Faculty of Political Science, University of Bucharest
Conf. univ. dr. Raluca ALEXANDRESCU
Lect. univ. dr. Ana-Maria BÂRSAN
Lect. univ. dr. Felicia BEJAN
Conf. univ. dr. Anca DOHOTARIU
Conf. univ. dr. Luciana Alexandra GHICA
Conf. univ. dr. Bogdan IANCU
Lect. univ. dr. Brîndușa NICOLAESCU
Conf. univ. dr. Camil PÂRVU
Asist. univ. dr. Octavian SOFRONEA
Lect. univ. dr. Oana-Valentina SUCIU
Conf. univ. dr. Claudiu D. TUFIȘ
Associated teaching staff
Dr. Bogdan CHIRIȚOIU, President of the Competition Council of Romania
Dr. Ștefan CIBIAN, President of the Romanian Federation of Development NGOs (FOND Romania)
Dr. Emanuela IGNĂȚOIU-SORA
Dr. Bogdan IVĂNEL, Co-founder and CEO at Code4Romania
Olivia VEREHA, Co-founder and Chief Operations Officer at Code4Romania
Former teaching staff
Conf.univ. Dr. Oana BĂLUȚĂ, Faculty of Journalism and Communication Studies, University of Bucharest
Conf.univ. Dr. Ruxandra IVAN, Faculty of Political Science, University of Bucharest
Conf.univ. Dr. Bogdana PETRICĂ, Faculty of Political Science, University of Bucharest
Conf.univ. Dr. Silvana RACHIERU, Faculty of History, University of Bucharest
Dr. Claudia PETRESCU, Scientific Researcher, Romanian Academy - Institute for Research on the Quality of Life
Dr. Laurențiu ȘTEFAN, current Ambassador of Romania in the Republic of Ireland
Most of these instructors have also collaborated as consultants/independent experts with numerous strategic partners from the labour market in the field of international public affairs such as the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Romanian Ministry of Labour, the Romanian Cultural Institute, various foreign embassies and cultural institutes present in Romania, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), UNICEF and the World Bank Group.
Alumni experience
Although the newest program of the Faculty of Political Science at the University of Bucharest, having been established in 2018, it already has a vibrant community of alumni.
All alumni benefit from the following services:
free newsletter ISEDUGATE (news from the program; local and global trends in international public affairs; job opportunities; call for applications for volunteering projects; internships or other contributions; invitations for events; language skills tips for international public affairs professionals)
free access to new modules offered to current students of the program
access to new training opportunities with professionals in the field offered under the same conditions as for current students of the program
Starting from 2022-2023, MIPA students and alumni can also meet to socialize and network, as well as to gain new insights from top experts on international public affairs, within the Alumni Weekend series, as well as through other events open to both alumni and students of the program.
Alumni who have not registered yet for the ISEDUGATE newsletter can do so HERE.
More questions? Contact us
Program academic coordinators: Luciana Alexandra Ghica (luciana.ghica@unibuc.ro) & Claudiu D. Tufiș (claudiu.tufis@unibuc.ro)
The MIPA program is academically coordinated within the Department of Comparative Governance and European Studies (DCGES) of the Faculty of Political Science, University of Bucharest (Romania).
Most guest events are organized with the support of the Centre for International Cooperation and Development Studies (IDC), part of the DCGES.