The master’s degree in International Studies commemorates its thirty years with sessions on the challenges in entities like UN and EU
“Integration is the differential concept in the United Nations 2030 Agenda regarding previous stages: integrating the different sustainable development goals and different actors work in order to fulfil these objectives”. This is what stressed Remo Lalli, secretary of the High Level Committee on Management, in the commemorative sessions for the 30th anniversary of the masterʼs degree in International Studies of the UB. Lalli was one of the speakers who analysed the future challenges of the international organizations, ranging from the United Nations to the post-Brexit European Union.
“Integration is the differential concept in the United Nations 2030 Agenda regarding previous stages: integrating the different sustainable development goals and different actors work in order to fulfil these objectives”. This is what stressed Remo Lalli, secretary of the High Level Committee on Management, in the commemorative sessions for the 30th anniversary of the masterʼs degree in International Studies of the UB. Lalli was one of the speakers who analysed the future challenges of the international organizations, ranging from the United Nations to the post-Brexit European Union.
Lalli explained the complexity of an organization like the UN, in which there are three big reforms going on: the reforming peacekeeping; the reform on development; and the setting of a new paradigm on management in the United Nations. These reforms involve the integration of objectives and tasks, such as merging analysis and operational tasks. Last, Lalli highlighted the role the United Nations plays in innovation. He warned that “artificial intelligence, biotechnology and other disciplines occur in a situation of a lack of principles and values, and since this is going fast, it could be devastating for society”.
During the session, several speakers treated general topics within the field of international studies and presented specific study cases about world organizations such as the World Trade Organization, the International Labour Organization and new ways of international cooperation such as SEforAll organization. The last sessions of the conference were dedicated to analyse regional organizations, such as the EU and the Brexit procedure or MERCOSUR situation.
During her speech, the director of the master, Professor Anna Maria Badia, noted that this degree started in 1988, “with a Berlin wall, without Google, with a Yugoslavia as reference of the non-alienated countries”, and it has continued “aiming to adapt to all changes”. Badia presented the report on the master on the occasion of the 30th anniversary which gathers the activities carried out over these thirty years and has contributions by Joan Tugores and Pelai Pagès, who gave lessons at the beginning of this degree, as well as contributions by more than 600 students who graduated in these studies.
The master in International Studies aims to deepen in the knowledge of international society from a multidisciplinary view. It starts with general courses on history, international economics, public international law, international relations, international organizations -to focus on the study of the institutionalized international cooperation in fields such as peacekeeping and security, international economic relations, protection and promotion of human rights, and the international cooperation for development and other technical, scientific and technological fields. The masterʼs degree has a support program to carry out the internship in international organizations. The published report shares details about internships carried out in the United Nations, such as the United Nations Development Programme in several countries, and other international entities with offices in Barcelona.