Dear Prospective Student,

I am delighted to welcome you to our website. I hope that it will inspire you to apply and become further involved in human rights and democratisation processes as a future student, researcher and activist.

E.MA is an intensive one-year academic programme aimed at preparing you professionally to work in human rights organisations (governmental and non-governmental, international and national), Ministries of Foreign Affairs, development agencies, field missions, electoral observation, human rights monitoring and international cooperation. It is also a solid foundation to pursue further academic studies.

Joining E.MA means being taught by a wide range of leading academics, renowned experts and representatives of international organisations. It means studying in a multicultural environment and in multiple locations: first in Venice, where you will attend lectures and seminars and will participate in simulations, skill-building sessions and project work, and then in one of the 41 participating universities where you will carry out more in-depth research for your thesis. With E.MA you will see how the theory studied in the classroom ‘comes alive’ during a field trip to a post-conflict country and you will experience a special human environment where all those involved (students, faculty and staff) develop long-term bonds and networks with each other. After E.MA you will have the possibility to participate in our internships and fellowships with renowned organisations and institutions and you will benefit from a worldwide E.MAlumni Association for contacts, job opportunities, projects and research.

If you ask any of our graduates (more than 1100 so far), the two most frequent comments that you will hear are that E.MA is a unique Master and that it is a life-changing experience. I myself can testify to this. I graduated from E.MA in 2000. Little did I know then that E.MA would change me and my life so profoundly. Not only did I learn a great deal about human rights and democratisation, but also about myself, my interests and capacities. Thanks to E.MA I was able to represent my government at the UN in Geneva and New York, to be a lecturer at the University of London, and to work for an important international NGO such as ActionAid International. I am sharing this with you to underline how many opportunities in various sectors the E.MA Programme offers after graduation. Certainly, this does not come easily: the course requires commitment, passion and hard work. But the rewards are many, far beyond getting a degree.

Do explore our website: find out who is teaching on the course and where you may go for your second semester; learn about our special features and check our areas of specialisation; meet our alumni; get to know us better and see how you might connect with us.

Enjoy the visit and see you in Venice!

Dr. Angela Melchiorre

E.MA Programme Director