Fourteen students from abroad have been chosen to participate in the two-year Master’s programme International Development Studies – GLODEP – which is run in conjunction with other foreign universities. During their first semester at the Faculty of Sciences, they can study for example Development Geography, Economics of Development, and Development Theories and Political Processes.
“During their orientation week, students got to know more about Palacký University. They toured the historic town centre with a guide, learning not only about its monuments, but also about the historical events associated with the town in order to better understand the context of the city in which they will live and study,” explained Lenka Dušková from the Department of Development Studies.
Students will also have opportunities to better understand the specifics of Czech culture thanks to a lecture on Czechia, and learn about cultural specifics in general as well as different customs and norms in a workshop aimed at intercultural sensitivity. One of the goals of the workshop is to prepare foreign students for the “culture shock” which they might encounter within their studies in various places in Europe and elsewhere across the globe. Thus at the workshop they will learn methods of how to prepare for such situations and better deal with them.
“I applied to the GLODEP programme because I was looking for a quality educational opportunity, and Czechia has good universities. In addition, this programme is quite colourful; we will study with students and meet teachers from three different countries. It’s really a wonderful experience, the kind every student dreams about. I’m really glad I’m here and I’m looking forward to my studies in Czechia, France, and Italy,” said Lela Kankadze, a student from Georgia.
Kwaku Brefo-Tuffour, a student from Ghana, also wants to make good use of his studies. “I’d like to work in a development organisation in Ghana or in development research. Ghana is undergoing great transformations at present and I would like to contribute to the development of political education. I’m expecting, however, to narrow down my focus during the course of my studies.”
Students study at the Faculty of Science in Olomouc their first semester, then spend their second semester in France, their third in Italy, and for the fourth semester they either choose a research stay or internship at partner universities in e.g. Rwanda, Bhutan, Kyrgyzstan, Madagascar, or at other developmentally oriented organisations in various parts of the world.