MIDP fellows address policy challenges in capstone experience

Twenty-two Master of International Development Policy (MIDP) fellows presented their master's projects (MPs) during a two-day showcase.

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Over the course of two semesters, fellows worked under the guidance of a faculty member serving as an MP advisor to define a policy problem, analyze it in an interdisciplinary manner and recommend a specific course of action to address that problem. The capstone experience calls for fellows to apply the professional skills and knowledge they've acquired throughout the MIDP program.

The spring 2024 MP presentations included:

• “Enhancing Indonesia’s Taxation for Addressing Income Inequality,” Mamuroh Mamuroh (MP advisor: Sebastian James)
• “Optimizing Indonesia's Carbon Tax Policy for Emission Reduction and Revenue Generation,” Ferianto Wardani (MP advisor: Sebastian James)
• “Exploring alternative forms of pension provision and financing: Are there viable and sustainable pension provision and financing alternatives to the existing social insurance scheme, to address issues of low enrollment, inconsistent contributions and low pension adequacy, particularly for the informal sector in Vietnam?” Agastya Yeachuri (MP advisor: Sebastian James)
• “Unlocking the Potential of Indonesian SMEs through Enhanced Tax Compliance,” Muhammad (Adam) Nugroho (MP advisor: GP Shukla)
• “Navigating Gansu's Path to Development: Addressing Gansu’s Regional Disparities,” Siyao Chen (MP advisor: Natalia Mirovitskaya)
• “What the Indian government can do to increase female labor force participation,” Mira Jeyacalathevan (MP advisor: Cory Krupp)
• “Introducing carbon credit mechanism in Bhutan,” Tashi Choden (MP advisor: Natalia Mirovitskaya)
• “Latinos Health Journey: A Cross-Country Comparative Analysis and Community-Informed Policy Implementation in North Carolina Amid Medicaid Expansion Opportunities,” Estefania Rodriguez Martinez (MP advisor: Kate Bundorf)
• “Availability of doctors and health outcomes: What are the primary factors influencing the decision of doctors to migrate abroad?” Solomon Ayehu (MP advisor: Manoj Mohanan)
• “Balancing Border Security and Human Rights: Strategies for Chile's Use of the Armed Forces for Irregular Migration Management,” Jorge Delgado Golusda (MP advisor: Kerilyn Schewel)
• "Advancing Peacebuilding Through Promoting Human Rights and Inclusive Governance. North and East Syria as a Case Study," Imad Alhajj (MP advisor: Maureen Moriarty)
• “Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Humanitarian Programs in Yemen,” Rachel Ansley (MP advisor: Maureen Moriarty)
• “Strengthening Climate Adaptation and Resilience among Small Scale Women Farmers through Gender Responsive Climate Finance in Rural Kenya,” Fiona Ouma (MP advisor: Natalia Mirovitskaya)
• “Managing Social Insurance Premiums in Vietnam,” Vu Ngoc (Mai) Nguyen (MP advisor: Edmund Malesky)

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• “Financing for Sustainable Development: Private Sector Engagement in the Projects of KazAID,” Ainur Tuimebekova (MP advisor: Edmund Malesky)
• “Improving Intelligence Integration in South Korea,” Jeongsu Lee (MP advisor: Tim Nichols)
• “Balancing Interests: Addressing the conflicts between the Thai government’s management of natural protected areas and the rights of the indigenous people and local communities,” Chone Chaowai (MP advisor: Natalia Mirovitskaya)
• “End of violence and political stabilization to rebuild state capacity in a fragile state: possible solutions for Haiti,” Christian Menin (MP advisor: Ken Rogerson)
• “Financing Disability-Inclusive Education in Armenia: The gaps in financial mechanisms and funding models to ensure equitable access to education for children with disabilities,” Goharik Tigranyan (MP advisor: Sarah Komisarow)
• “Foreign Aid and Development in Paraguay: A Comprehensive Analysis of Health Sector Impacts,” Delia Gisselle Alarcon Ramirez (MP advisor: Sarah Bermeo)
• “Increasing energy security in Albania through green hydrogen production,” Andi Mujollari (MP advisor: Natalia Mirovitskaya)

"Every year, I’m amazed at the depth and the breadth of these presentations—everything from improving mental health in humanitarian programs in Yemen to innovative reforms to pension programs in Vietnam to introducing a carbon credit system in Bhutan," said Dean Storelli, director of MIDP writing and communication services. "One MP project created a new software system for running tax reform scenarios in Indonesia. Truly impressive!”

The Duke Master of International Development Policy (MIDP) is a self-designed, interdisciplinary degree that equips mid-career professionals from around the world with the analytical tools and technical expertise necessary to become global leaders in sustainable development efforts. The program is administered by the Duke Center for International Development (DCID), based in the Sanford School of Public Policy.