Humanitarian Policy and Practice UCL

Overview

Preventing and responding to complex human and planetary needs in situations where the means to respond are limited, is a growing global priority. Conflict, environmental disasters, disease outbreaks and the rapidly escalating impact of the climate emergency demand a comprehensive understanding of the root causes and drivers of humanitarian situations, and an ability to respond effectively and ethically in such circumstances. Using real-world case studies, this programme will draw from many of the political, ethical and other challenges that humanitarian responders face today.

Based in  University College London (UCL)’s world-leading Faculty of Population Health Sciences, the core of your learning will be organised around a commitment to improving humanitarian policy and practice with the aim of improving collective wellbeing, ensuring ethical and effective humanitarian response, and mitigating the risk of future humanitarian crises. 

What this course will give you

You will develop the ability to understand the complex contexts in which humanitarian needs arise, and how such situations come to be framed and understood as crises. You will gain the interdisciplinary skills to make complex decisions that take into account geo-political, social, cultural, environmental, health and other factors.

The humanitarian sector and system has changed dramatically over recent decades. On this course we aim to support sector-wide calls that demand a shift away from paternalistic, ‘top-down’ approaches towards locally driven and locally owned responses that engage with local networks and markets, ensure equitable partnerships, and that make use of relevant technologies. 

In the years and decades ahead, we face a plethora of local, global and planetary challenges and threats that require a knowledgeable, interconnected and committed workforce of value-driven practitioners, policy-makers and researchers. 

Employability

On completion of this Humanitarian Policy and Practice programme you will have:

• A detailed understanding of the subject area of humanitarian policy and practice
• The ability to critically analyse humanitarian interventions and policies
• The ability to select and apply tools and knowledge to evaluate humanitarian interventions and policies
• The ability to critically evaluate how knowledge is produced in humanitarian contexts, and the ability to critically appraise and conduct research
• Essential project management skills
• Effective written and verbal communication skills
• Effective teamwork skills