Over 250 Masters students graduated from the Institute of Development Studies, who in partnership with the University of Sussex, is ranked number one in the world for development studies in the QS World University Rankings. Students come to Brighton to study at IDS from around the world and today’s graduates represent 62 different nationalities. Each student has completed a master’s degree on international development, including courses with a focus on gender, climate, poverty, food and governance.
Olaoluwa Abagun from Nigeria
Olaoluwa Abagun, 28, from Nigeria is among the IDS graduates. She is a lawyer and advocate for women and girls who has completed an MA in Gender and Development, and after studying in Brighton has returned to Nigeria to develop a charity called Girl Pride Circle. The charity is committed to advocating for girls rights to education, equal opportunities and violence-free communities. Ola is the founder and executive director of the charity and now plans to use the skills she’s learnt through her study at IDS to grow Girl Pride Circle and benefit more young girls in Africa.
Ola was able to study at IDS thanks to a DFID-sponsored Commonwealth Scholarship, supporting innovators and leaders of the future from across the Commonwealth to study in Britain.
Fadi Hallisso from Syria
Fadi Hallisso, 41, from Syria is graduating after studying with IDS for an MA in Governance and Development. Since graduating he is continuing his work as the co-founder and CEO of a relief and development charity called ‘Basmeh & Zeitooneh’ that supports refugees in the Middle East and North Africa. He has also set up a blog where he regularly writes about issues affecting Syria and the Middle East region.
Takeshi Suzuki from Japan
Takeshi Suzuki, 28, from Japan is graduating with an MA in Poverty and Development from IDS. Before undertaking his masters degree he worked for the development agency Japan International Cooperation System (JICS) and undertook an internship at the UN Refugee Agency, the UNHCR, in Malaysia at the end of his course. After graduating he has now returned to Japan and is currently working as an intern at Unicef in Tokyo and is hoping to continue his career working in development and poverty reduction.
Linda Waldman, Director of Teaching and Learning at IDS, said: “A diverse range of students come to study at IDS from all over the world and we congratulate every one of them graduating today. Graduation is a highlight of the academic year and the culmination of lots of hard work. It’s a time to celebrate our students’ achievements and hear about their exciting plans for the future.”
IDS offer nine master’s courses in development studies, including an online course and a PhD programme.
Being ranked number one in the world for development studies is a reflection of the quality, impact and range of international development research and courses offered across the Sussex campus – at the Institute of Development Studies, and the University of Sussex’s School of Global Studies, Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) and Centre for International Education (CIE).