Participation for Transformative Learning in Development Management: The Case of a Master in International Development Projects in the Universitat Politècnica de València (Spain)

Abstract

Abstract There is a growing concern about the role of the university in the education of international development professionals. For a number of actors, it should play a central role in order to move current managerial trends in the international development sector towards a more transformative and reflective practice of international development projects management. In the paper, we depart from the idea that postgraduate courses can promote the emergence of more critical and reflective professionals, if they assume participation as a key issue in the curricula and in the methodological approach. We will deep into a particular case study, a Master in development management in the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia. We will see how participation is considered at different levels, as a key pedagogical strategy, for the emergence competences for a reflective and transformative practice of international cooperation. We will also see the outputs of this Master in terms of the learning experienced by students in this regards, and we will address the limitations and opportunities that the Master faces in its strategy. Results are built on interviews to students, teachers and other relevant stakeholders, as well as in the results of external and internal evaluations and reports on the Master's performance.