MIDP fellows present policy recommendations in capstone experience

A group of Master of International Development Policy (MIDP) fellows, who are completing their studies this month, presented their master’s project (MP) to an audience of peers, faculty and staff.

For the MP, students applied the professional skills and knowledge they’ve acquired throughout the MIDP program to client-focused projects tackling real-world policy challenges. They worked for two semesters, under the guidance of a faculty MP advisor, to define a policy problem, analyze it in an interdisciplinary manner and recommend a specific course of action to address that problem.

“Students learned how to ask the tough questions, how to embed it in the policy process, how to use all the skills that they’ve gained in the MIDP program - from policy analysis to economics to financial analysis - to bring to bear on those questions, and to pull it all together in a way that answers that original question they asked,” shared Edmund Malesky, director of the Duke Center for International Development.

The Fall 2023 master’s projects:

• Amr Alamri, “Sustainable Desalination: Balancing Freshwater Needs and Environmental Impact in Saudi Arabia” (MP advisor: Fernando Fernholz)
• Xueping (Coco) Cao, “Education Policy Reform in China Addressing Education Inequality for Children with Disabilities in Western China” (MP advisor: Natalia Mirovitskaya)
• Sangjoon Hong, “Mobilizing Financial and Fiscal Policies to Relieve Households' Suboptimal Retirement Income Preparation in Korea's Super-Aging Society” (MP advisor: Manoj Mohanan)
• Giljung Kim, “The Promotion of South Korean Private Sector Companies to Participate in Public-Private Partnerships of Asian Roads Construction Projects” (MP advisor: Fernando Fernholz)
• Wookeun Yang, “Korean Government’s Policy Reaction to EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism” (MP advisor: G.P. Shukla)
• Boram Chen, “Assessing the Fiscal Sustainability and Vulnerability in Korea” (MP advisor: Cory Krupp)
• Hyeyoung Ko, “How Can the Korean Government Reduce the Household Burden Caused by Soaring Energy Prices?” (MP advisor: Cory Krupp)

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.