Global political studies
Education The courses and programmes at the Department of Global Political Studies are multidisciplinary and several are taught in English. We offer four bachelor s programmes and three master s degree programmes, as well as a wide range of courses in all subjects. Students enrolled in the bachelor s degree programmes have the opportunity to study abroad for a semester and they also may choose to complete an internship for one semester in Sweden or abroad. In addition to the bachelor s programmes, we offer one or two-year master s programmes and doctoral studies. The department is characterised by globalisation and internationalisation, with staff and students originating from many different countries. This diversity contributes to interesting discussions in the seminar rooms and lecture halls where topics such as security, justice, development and the consequences of global processes for power relations are addressed and analysed. Bachelor s Degrees Human Rights International Relations International Migration and Ethnic Relations Peace and Conflict Studies Master s Degrees Global Political Studies, a one-year master s degree programme with three specialisations: Human Rights, International Relations and Peace and Conflict Studies International Migration and Ethnic Relations, a one or two-year master s degree programme Subjects Human Rights International Relations International Migration and Ethnic Relations Peace and Conflict Studies Gender Studies (offered only in Swedish) Political Science (offered only in Swedish)
Research M aja Povrzanović Frykman is a professor of Ethnology and research coordinator at the Department of Global Political Studies (GPS). Her research on migrants combines Peace and Conflict Studies and International Migration and Ethnic Relations two important fields in the department. The research activities at the department are very much in line with the programmes we teach. The connection between research and teaching is important to us, especially when it comes to the master s programmes. We investigate some of the most challenging social, political and environmental issues today. Our students are very engaged and crave an intellectual foundation for We are at the forefront when it comes to focusing on current problems. being able to act. Many do field studies abroad and work with international issues. The students at GPS are encouraged to see the world as their field. Professor Povrzanović Frykman is one of the many faculty members who was awarded a degree from another country. Her research involves civilians living in wartime circumstances in Croatia, and she first came to Sweden as a visiting scholar. I feel very well-placed in this environment. Ethnographic research is important in Peace and Conflict Studies and my research on wartime everyday life is integrated in our undergraduate programme. My current project is funded by the Swedish Research Council and combines a focus on the everyday life of migrants with materiality. I investigate objects and material practices that establish connections between people and places across national borders. This allows me to critique the ethnic lens the tendency to look at migrants as defined by their ethnic affiliation. This project explores the ways in which people, including those of migrant background, deploy multiple forms of belonging. Looking at transnational material practices reveals similarities between people who may otherwise be perceived as very different.
Education Whatever I do in the future, I will be well prepared for it. J uliet Williams is from Kingston, Jamaica, and is studying for a master s degree in International Migration and Ethnic Relations. I have always been interested in understanding people and the situation where they come from. Migration issues mostly involve vulnerable people and so this is very important. And this course is about preparing people to deal with these issues. Before Juliet came to Sweden, she studied counselling and psychology and previously worked for many years in administration. After a friend recommended studying in Sweden, Juliet applied for a European scholarship. I always knew that I wanted to come to Sweden. Swedish politics appealed to me very much. I believe that Sweden is very good at taking care of its citizens. The programme gave her an insight into a new reality. It showed me how much I didn t know before. The programme is applicable in many areas, and I really recommend it and hope many more people study at Malmö University. I learned how to think academically it sharpened my analytical skills. The teachers set the foundation and made us good at what we do. Whatever I do in the future, I will be well prepared for it. The courses taught in English also appealed to Juliet. I didn t have the time to learn Swedish and so I was happy the lectures were in English. I enjoy my studies immensely. We have fabulous teachers with a lot of knowledge. They really respect the students and treat us equally. That gives us a lot of confidence. Juliet recommends that everyone study in Malmö. Interestingly, in Jamaica, she did not have the opportunity to learn how to ride a bike. However, having lived in Malmö since 2012, she finally got her chance. Malmö is a wonderful city. It respects bikers. I didn t know how to ride a bike, but Malmö allowed me to take this opportunity! www.mah.se/imermasters
internship During his bachelor s studies in Peace and Conflict Studies, Joel Pousette Liljeqvist spent one semester as an intern at the Swedish Embassy in Guatemala. Getting the internship was very competitive. First, Joel travelled to El Salvador on a Minor Field Studies scholarship from Sida (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency) to do fieldwork for his BA thesis. Then, he contacted the embassy while he was in the region and completed the internship the following semester. His duties at the embassy included writing reports and representing the embassy at events. The contacts I made during my internship were invaluable. For writing reports, I needed to be good at research and analysis, two things I learned while working towards my BA. My studies in Peace and Conflict Studies were particularly pertinent when it came to writing about the security situation in the region. Joel s future plans include working in Colombia for two years as a peace observer for the Swedish Fellowship of Reconciliation (Kristna Fredsrörelsen). One of the useful things I learned during my internship was how to produce documents for the public sector. It was also very useful simply to learn that I was capable that I could do a good job in such a position. My supervisor was great and we have kept in touch. The contacts I made while I was there will be invaluable now that I m going to work in Colombia. www.mah.se/ peaceandconflictstudies
Collaboration Collaboration eases the step from university to professional career. I n the Department of Global Political Studies, collaborating with external organisations and other universities is important for both teaching and research. Tom Nilsson is a senior lecturer for the bachelor s degree programme in Political Science. Collaboration is systematically implemented in his teaching: working together with organisations, local businesses and other potential employers is a vital part of the programme. External partners are invited to hold seminars with the students and receive students into the workplace for internships and job shadowing. There are several advantages of collaborating with partners outside the university. This is a way to give our students the combination of theory and practice being able to work on real cases and I also think it becomes an important factor of motivation for the students. They learn from reallife scenarios which also functions as an introduction to professional life. Collaboration eases the step from university to a professional career. It s also extremely useful for the academic staff we are able to learn more and gain insights beneficial to our teaching and research. Tom Nilsson leads a research project Mistra Future Fashion which aims to identify policy instruments to stimulate substantial environmental improvements in the Swedish fashion industry. The project is in partnership with six other universities in Sweden and abroad, and the researchers collaborate with a number of organisations, companies and government agencies. The project is aimed at finding solutions that can be implemented to create actual change. It s all about looking at how policy can lead to a more sustainable development. Through our partners, we gain access to their networks and expertise.
Research At the Department of Global Political Studies we offer programmes and courses that help you make sense of the world. Our academics and research focus on today s urgent political issues and their implications for power, security, justice and development. esearch at the Department of Global Political Studies is devoted to issues of politics, power relations and identity construction in local, national, international and global contexts. Along with a pronounced interest in organisations, institutions of governance, policy instruments and decision-making processes, studies of international migration and migration-related social issues are also key research topics at the Department of Global Political Studies. Migration and urbanisation are both results of and driving forces in on-going societal change. The influence of migration and urbanisation on living conditions today cannot be underestimated. Migration studies examine movement across and within borders, and the new interfaces that arise in relation to more permanent communities, often in urban contexts. The Department has a PhD programme in the research area of Migration, Urbanisation and Societal Change (MUSA) in cooperation with the Department of Urban Studies. Read about current PhD projects at www.mah.se/musa Several researchers in the Department of Global Political Studies are affiliated with the Malmö Institute for Studies of Migration, Diversity and Welfare (MIM), a research institute for projects relating to issues of migration. Read more at www.mah.se/mim
Malmö & malmö university Malmö University is located in the very centre of Malmö. Malmö is the third largest city in Sweden with over 300,000 people and 170 nationalities contributing to a fantastic cultural mix. Malmö is both a charming town and a vibrant metropolitan city. It is an ideal city for students due to its urban campus in a dynamic region progressive and evolving and close to both Copenhagen and mainland Europe. Malmö University... was founded in 1998 is composed of five faculties Faculty of Health and Society Faculty of Culture and Society Faculty of Education and Society Faculty of Technology and Society Faculty of Odontology offers more than 100 programmes and 500 courses educates 25,000 full and part-time students employs 1,500 people has around 220 PhD students and approximately 80 full professors is in partnership with 250 universities worldwide www.mah.se/english
Global political studies www.mah.se/gps/english