The New School, Graduate Program in International Affairs

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Preparing Leaders for International Development

Sakiko Fukuda-Parr
Professor of International Relations and
Chair of the Development Concentration
Graduate Program in International, The New School

How have approaches to international development evolved over the years?

In the 1950s and 60s, development practices were rooted in the idea that rich countries had all the solutions-that the technology and know-how that developed in the west in the 20th century would be transferable and applicable to developing countries. Almost no one believes that's the case anymore. Development today is seen as the empowerment of people, not just the growth of material production and consumption. At the United Nations, where I was director of the UNDP Human Development Reports for ten years, we thought of development from a human perspective as an expansion of freedom.

How does The New School prepare students to meet today's challenges of international development?

We realized that we had to rethink what it means to take leadership in international development in the 21st century, because many of the 20th century approaches are no longer relevant. You can't be a professional in this field without being aware of the complexities of each local context. What has worked in the United States cannot be just transplanted. That is one big lesson we have learned in the last 50 years.

Our program is interdisciplinary and has a very strong social science basis with a special focus on human rights. Our students mix their work in the classroom with internships, and some participate in our international field program in the summer. This combination of experiences is invaluable.

What types of projects do New School students undertake abroad?

Part of our mission is to expose students to experiences that can only be gained in the field, living with communities in need and figuring out how we can help. For example, a group of students from the International Affairs graduate program worked in Buenos Aires on the environmental rehabilitation program for the La Matanza-Riachuelo watershed area. Involving governmental and civil society organizations at local, provincial, and national levels, and supported by a billion-dollar loan from the World Bank, this is the single largest and most complex urban environmental project undertaken by the international community.

What did the students do in Buenos Aires?

They worked on designing the monitoring and evaluation system involving multiple actors. Students worked with one of several organizations involved in the program, including a water company that builds infrastructure, a local micro-credit organization that works with the local population, and the agency responsible for overall program implementation.

How important is the International Affairs program's location in New York City?

New York is probably the world's most international city, and it's the ideal location for our graduate program in international affairs. We have 400 students from more than 60 countries. Our faculty is international, multilingual, and multiracial. Beyond that, we're tremendously diverse in our research interests and very involved in public activities.

Our multidisciplinary approach is targeted at helping students become critical thinkers who are sensitive to the complexities of human development. I'm constantly impressed by how our students rise to the challenge.

The New School
Graduate Program in International Affairs
www.newschool.edu/ia12
Email this school
(212) 229-5630

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