25 October 2023
Bilbao Campus
Last 20 October, the University celebrated the 30th anniversary of the NOHA Master's Degree, a milestone in which participants also witnessed the graduation of the 2020-2022 and 2021-2023 graduating classes. A seminar was held to commemorate this anniversary, consisting of three panel discussions, the themes of which were agreed on and chosen by the alumni. The panel discussions were made up of NOHA Alumni and lecturers of the Master’s programme. The event, which was held in a hybrid format and attended by Javier Arellano, Vice-Rector for Research and International Relations and Ane Ferrán, Dean of the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, combined the participation of online speakers and face-to-face attendees.
The event was presented by Cristina Churruca, former director of the NOHA Master’s Degree at the University of Deusto and Coordinator of the Joint Masters, on behalf of the current director Joana Abrisketa Uriarte. The seminar was opened by two of the Master’s founders, Julia Gonzalez Ferreras, former Secretary General of the NOHA Association and former Vice-Rector for International Relations at the University of Deusto, and Horst Fischer, former Director of the Masters at the University of Bochum and former President of the NOHA Association. The two speakers agreed on the importance of the programme as a milestone in European higher education and its current relevance for training professionals in the field of humanitarian action in a context of international crises and conflicts in which humanitarian needs remain on the rise. Julia Gonález also highlighted the University of Deusto's commitment to the NOHA programme since its inception.
The first roundtable on "Localisation and decolonisation" was attended by Luis Enrique Eguren Fernández (class of 2010-2011), an independent consultant and member of the teaching staff of the Master's programme at the University of Deusto; Malashree Bhargava (class of 2006-2007), disaster risk reduction advisor to UN Women; and Pilar Diez Arregi (class of 2001-2002), Basque Agency for Development Cooperation.
The second roundtable "New technologies" was attended by Mario Bastande (class of 2016-2017), a third sector information consultant and member of the faculty of the master's degree at the University of Deusto; Andrés E. García (class of 2020-2022), executive director of New Memories and Mikel Mendezona (class of 2008-2009), head of Programmes for Colombia, Ecuador and Panama. NRC/Norwegian Refugee Council.
The seminar closed with a panel discussion on "Career development", focusing on the career prospects open to NOHA alumni and the different professional experiences and learning experiences of the speakers: Fernando Almansa, an independent humanitarian advisor and member of the Master's teaching staff at the University of Deusto; Noelia Blascovich (class of 2019-2021), from the Diplomatic Service of Argentina; and María López (class of 2001-2002), Recovery, Return and Reintegration Officer at UNMISS and member of the Master's teaching staff at the University of Deusto.
The seminar created a special networking and learning framework to celebrate the graduation of the last two graduating classes.
NOHA Master’s degree
The Máster Universitario Erasmus Mundus en Acción Internacional Humanitaria/NOHA Erasmus Mundus Joint Master's Degree Programme in International Humanitarian Action is the first global initiative to respond to the growing need for higher education qualifications specifically designed to address complex humanitarian emergencies. It was created with this aim in 1993 as a result of the actions agreed with the NOHA network (Network in Humanitarian Action / Red de Acción Humanitaria), in close cooperation with two Directorates-General of the European Commission: the Directorate-General for Humanitarian Aid (ECHO) and the Directorate-General for Education and Culture.
In September 2004, the European Commission chose the NOHA Master’s programme as one of the leading Erasmus Mundus Master's programmes. The Master’s Degree in International Humanitarian Actions was ranked first in the Cooperation category of El Mundo's 2023 Master’s ranking. The NOHA Network and the University of Deusto have signed a number of collaboration agreements with different institutions to support internships and research stays for students.
Our collaborating partners:
Department of Equality, Justice and Social Policies of the Basque Government.
