Reflections: A Dual Degree Program in Malta

While it seems like just yesterday, it has been nine months since the eleven students from the inaugural cohort of the dual Master's degree program run jointly by S-CAR and the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies (MEDAC) have stepped foot in a Maltese classroom and seven months since we submitted our theses.

When we first set foot into our classroom in Valletta, Malta, it was apparent that the diversity of our small class was high. We all had different backgrounds, but over the next nine months we became a close-knit family. We came from America, Canada, Japan, and Malta. We studied government, international relations, sociology, psychology, and a plethora of languages. We worked in the private sector, with NGOs, at the Maltese Prime Minister's Office, and the US State Department. Our combined credentials reached far and wide and allowed for an enriching academic experience.

In the nine months since we were last together, our experiences have only continued to grow. Our geographical diversity has widened as we are now spread between the US, Canada, Malta, France, Turkey, and Austria. In seven short months, my classmates have already obtained amazing opportunities that include: working in the Maltese Diplomatic Corps; helping to create a home textile company from the ground up; obtaining an appointment as a US Presidential Management Fellow; gaining mediation certifications; researching topics that include the use of social media in the Arab Spring, how religion and stereotypes affect conflict, and refugee issues in Turkey.

Many of us don't see our time in Malta as an end to academia; instead, it aroused new interests that can only be subdued with further research and education. This shouldn't come as much of a surprise given that 11 of us were crazy enough to tackle two Master's degrees in just over a year. Many would like to obtain PhDs, and others are looking to further their understanding of conflict resolution in specific areas such as theology or law. We have come a long way since we were thrown together with strangers in a foreign land to study conflict resolution. Countless hours spent at cafes writing essays, preparing presentations and debating Galtung, Burton, and Volkan have come and gone. Picking our professors brains over a pint at the pub after the end of another demanding module is no longer our bi-weekly routine.

Equipped with theories, knowledge, and reflective practice we now enter a new and exciting chapter in our lives. We are all on our way to becoming successful conflict resolution practitioners in a number of different fields. I don't know exactly what the future holds for the inaugural Malta class, but if the last nine months are any indication, I can't wait to see what my classmates achieve in the years to come!