Interview with Professor Mohamed Mahmoud Mohamedou, Director of Executive Education

The Institute’s Executive Education programme has recently launched an Executive Master in International Relations. What are its objectives and strengths?

The Master of Advanced Studies in International Relations allows participants to acquire in-depth, up-to-date academic knowledge on contemporary international affairs and the ability to apply that knowledge practically. The course stands at the heart of the Institute’s Executive Education Programme. It allows participants to benefit from the near-century-long expertise of the Institute, which was set up in 1927 to train practitioners of global affairs, making it the oldest school in Europe dedicated to international relations. Against the background of this pedigree, the MAS in IR offers flexibility in taking the ECTS credit-gaining core course on international relations and completing the requirements with a selection from seven other main courses offered – on negotiation and policy-making, advocacy, environmental governance, development policies, conflict and fragility management, gender and development and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) investing, as well as shorter courses on geopolitics, diversity and digital transformation.

As director of this new course, can you tell us more about the five-day core course in international relations?

The core course of the Master in Advanced Studies is the cornerstone of the MAS in IR degree. Anchored in the five academic disciplines taught at the Graduate Institute – anthropology and sociology, international economics, international history and politics, international law, and political science – the course provides modules on each of these disciplines’ outlook on international affairs. These modules are taught by senior professors from the faculty of these disciplinary departments allowing participants a first-rate exchange with renowned specialised scholars. We delve into theories of international relations, the role of law, anthropological approaches, international organisations and multilateralism, development and international economics, global health, and contemporary security challenges. In addition, the course features a session on diplomacy, as well as a workshop on the methodologies of international affairs.

What skills do professionals need in order to face challenges in their careers, and how does the Institute help them acquire those skills?

The MAS in IR is designed specifically to empower current and future professionals to become both knowledgeable and efficient in their engagement with today’s complex, fast-paced and ever-changing global affairs. We place emphasis on critical thinking and applied policy skills. The personalised and modular journey is also strengthened by the fact that the Master’s topics are aligned with the contemporary themes of the SDGs, making the learning all the time focused on solving current issues.