Curriculum
First level - Scientific training
- Economic and Human Development
- Geopolitics, Conflict and Post-conflict
- Trade and Finance for Development
- Development Law and Institutions
- Project Cycle Management and Theory of Change
Second level – Professional training
Scientific and professional training are intertwined, to facilitate the indispensable dialogue between theory and practice. Students of different academic backgrounds cover the essentials of development (definition, actors, indicators), and the development/globalization nexus (trade, migrations, foreign investment, debt and finance).
Institution building is a cornerstone of development: during the course, students discuss institutions and policies, historical legacies and current geopolitics, and geography as well, since energy and resources endowments, environmental and extreme climate events challenge local and international human security.
On this background, professional expertise can overcome the technocratic risk of applying one-size-fits-all projects. Students learn to design and evaluate development projects, to effectively communicate with all stakeholders. Development is not a mechanism: it is the experience of creativity that comes from truly partnering with the local community.
In this perspective, the course also provides deep insights on selected development practices: poverty eradication, food security, community health, women’s education and entrepreneurship, resilience; last but not least, financing for development (impact investing, contrasting illicit cross-country financial flows).
Third level – Project work
Students are required to develop a personal research project on a topic related to development cooperation, in close contact with a Master professor and/or a professional from a partner institution.
The project work will often be connected to the internship experience, thus combining analytical skills and practical experience.
Fourth level – Internship
The Master’s programme is completed with an internship in Italy or abroad within an institution whose mission and activities are consistent with the Master’s programme. This gives the student the invaluable opportunity to test and strengthen the competencies acquired during the Master’s programme and it usually lasts at least three months.
Students will receive support and tutoring for their internship research, specifically concerning CV and cover letter preparation, vacancies research and internship announcements indication.
Network
AVSI – Italy
Caritas in Veritate Foundation – Switzerland
CESVI – Italy
COOPI – Italy
European Training Foundation – Italy
FOCSIV – Italy
Fondazione Cariplo – Italy
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - Peru
ISMU – Italy
Observatoire de la Finance – Switzerland
The Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See – Geneva
Transcrime – Italy
UNCTAD – Switzerland
UNDP – Switzerland
UNICEF – Thailand
University of Notre Dame - U.S.A.
UNRIC – Belgium
WHO – Switzerland
World Food Programme – Italy
World Friends – Kenya
Career prospects
- Identifying local needs, valorizing partnering, bottom-up approaches.
- Managing technical, financial and administrative aspects of cooperation initiatives.
- Accompanying development actors and civil society in identifying resources and deciding upon their use.
- Collaborating with national and international institutions within the policy framework of the country where projects are implemented.
Professional roles
Building on their previous academic studies and professional experience, students who complete the Master are well equipped to take on professional roles in international cooperation within NGOs, IOs, private or public agencies. In particular:
- Project Cycle Experts
- Project Assistant or Manager
- Analyst/Researcher/Evaluator
- Communications Officer
- Fund Raiser
- Partnership Coordinator
- Humanitarian Officer
- Administrative Officer
- Human Resources Officer
Faculty
Prof. Simona Beretta, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
Faculty
- Dr. Giacomo Agosti - CESVI
- Dr. Lylen Albani - CESVI
- Dr. Mariacristina Armellin - World Vision UK
- Dr. Sara Balestri - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
- Dr. Elena Casolari - Fondazione Opes onlus
- Dr. Frank Cinque - E4Impact
- Prof. Emilio Colombo - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
- Prof. Paul H. Dembinski - University of Fribourg
- Dr. Giuliano Gargioni - Global Tuberculosis Programme, WHO, Geneva
- Dr. Deborah Grbac - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
- Dr. Soraya Johaar - Career Development Specialist, Brussels
- Dr. Paolo Lembo - World Green Economy Organization
- Dr. Mariangela La Manna - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
- Prof. Marco Lombardi - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
- Prof. Mario A. Maggioni - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
- Dr. Elisabetta Minelli - WHO Health Emergencies Programme
- Prof. Mathias Nebel - Universidad Popular Autonoma del Estado de Pueblo, Mexico
- Dr. Francesca Oliva - AVSI
- Prof. Aldo Pigoli - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
- Dr. Giovanna Prennushi - Independent Consultant
- Prof. Riccardo Redaelli - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
- Prof. Michele Riccardi - Transcrime, Università Cattolica
- Dr. Margherita Romanelli - WeWorld GVC
- Dr. Andrea Rossi - UNICEF
- Dr. Domenico Rossignoli - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
- Dr. Javier Schunk - PCM Trainer
- Dr. Nicola Strazzari - Vision Plus Media Enterprises, Turin
- Dr. Simone Tagliapietra - Bruegel
- Dr. Manuela Tortora - UNCTAD, Geneva
- Prof. Teodora Erika Uberti - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
In addition each year a number of professionals from international institutions, nongovernmental organizations, and applied researchers give open lectures and seminars.
Alumni

Jack Flaminiano (Project Manager at Development Academy of the Philippines – MICaD 2013/14).

Thank you for challenging us to affront academic subjects that we wouldn't have otherwise dared: law for the economists, economics and finance for the sociologists, humanities for the scientists.
Thank you for providing a space where we were comfortable to share our ideas with absolute confidence that our colleagues would not pull us down but use our input to collaborate and build towards a well-founded, intelligent argument or idea.
One of my strongest memories from the programme is our first meeting as a class, where we sat in the grandiose classroom on the ground floor of ASERI and introduced ourselves one-by-one. Slowly we discovered the wealth of backgrounds and diversity sat in the classroom, about to set off on a six-month adventure that would teach us so much about the world, and ourselves.
I am so thrilled to be an ASERI Alumnus and look forward to seeing the path that each member of the 2019 Graduating Class will take.”
Melanie Weiss (intern at UNODC, Country Office Myanmar – MICaD 2018-19)

Alexandre Salha (Projects Coordinator at Fair Trade Lebanon - Lebanon - MICaD 2013/14)

Mattia Borelli (Location Officer in the Fundraising Department of CESVI - Italy – MICaD 2016-17)

Ola Wazwaz (Technical Officer at World Health Organization - Switzerland – MICaD 2016-17)

Albana Gërxhi (Legal Assistant at OSCE Presence in Albania – MICaD 2011-12)

Filippo Oggioni Global Digital Fundraising Specialist at UNICEF – MICaD 2007-2008
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Cintia Dantas (International Consultant at the Ministry of Health in Brazil and Americas Regional Director at Global TB Caucus, Brazil, MICaD)

Francesco Ponzoni, Programme Manager and Legal Adviser at International Development Law Organization, Kenya, MICaD 2006/07

Inmaculada del Pino Alvarez, Food Security Project Coordinator, FAO, São Tomé e Príncipe, MICaD 2009/2010

world view and gain a deeper understanding of events as they unfold. Through the coursework at ASERI, I gained a greater appreciation for monitoring and evaluation, and have leveraged those skills to pivot my career towards programme evaluation, and found a new calling in making sure that services deliver on the promises that are made to beneficiaries.”
Katie Sullivan, Research & Evaluation Manager at Urban Initiatives, USA, MICaD 2010/11
Carolyne Nyokabi Njuguna, Founder and Executive Director of Impacting Youth Trust, Kenya, MICaD 2011/12
Programme dates
Attendance is mandatory in order to obtain the diploma.
Detailed calendar:
January – June 2024 >>> Classes and Exams
June – September 2024 >>> Project work and internship
November 2024 >>> Thesis discussion
December 2024 >>> Graduation
Learning Italian
In addition, SELDA organizes fee-paying Italian language courses, for more information contact SELDA from the dedicate iCatt function (in the homepage, box “request for information”).