Reflecting on the MPP Class of 2025–2026

There is a particular kind of energy that defines a good cohort. Not just academic ability — plenty of programmes have that. It is something harder to manufacture: the willingness to sit with difficult questions, to genuinely engage with people whose experience is nothing like your own, and to treat learning as a collective project rather than an individual one. The MPP Class of 2025–2026 had it.

Over the past year, students at UNU-MERIT and Maastricht University worked through some of the defining challenges of our time. How do you design a social protection system that actually reaches the people it is meant to serve? What does effective migration policy look like when the political debate is dominated by myth? How do you govern technologies that are evolving faster than the institutions meant to regulate them? These are not classroom abstractions. They are the questions that will define public policy for the next generation — and this cohort engaged with them seriously.

A Community of Learners

For Dr Elaine McGregor, Academic Director of the MPP programme, the most memorable aspect of the year was the people themselves.

Throughout the programme, students demonstrated a willingness to engage with complex and often difficult questions. They debated ideas, challenged assumptions, and approached disagreements thoughtfully and constructively. Just as importantly, they listened to one another, worked collaboratively, and consistently sought solutions rather than divisions.

Two highlights of the academic calendar were the Public Policy Conference in November and the Specialisation Conference in April. These events offered students the opportunity to present their work, learn from one another, and engage with alumni and prospective students. They also served as a reminder that learning within the MPP is genuinely mutual: students learn from faculty, and faculty learn from students.

Beyond the classroom, students created a supportive and collegial environment, celebrating one another's achievements while supporting one another through the inevitable challenges of an intensive academic year. Even during the demanding final weeks of the programme, they continued to bring energy, commitment, and curiosity to their work.

Global Governance for Development

For Dr Tatiana Skripka, the Global Governance for Development specialisation represented an opportunity for students to engage with international policymaking at a particularly important moment.

As she notes, the students embarked on their studies at a time when the foundations of the global governance system are being tested. Yet rather than turning away from these challenges, they chose to engage with them directly.

Throughout the specialisation, students learned by doing. They drafted policy documents, designed project interventions, negotiated international agreements, and stepped into the roles of governments and international organisations. They engaged with UN officials in Brussels, explored the future of global governance, and developed the practical skills used every day by practitioners working across international institutions.

Most importantly, they learned to combine imagination with evidence, transforming ideas into concrete policy proposals while approaching complex challenges with professionalism, collegiality, and a commitment to cooperation.

Social Protection, Poverty and Inequality

For Dr Zina Nimeh, the year was defined both by intellectual engagement and by the relationships formed along the way.

Students immersed themselves in debates on poverty, inequality, social protection, labour markets, and public policy. They worked through multidimensional poverty indices, explored international labour standards, analysed policy trade-offs, and developed the analytical skills needed to assess and design social policies.

Alongside this substantive learning, students mastered new tools and methods, spending countless hours working through datasets, policy costing exercises, and fiscal analyses.

Yet, as Dr Nimeh reflects, the greatest achievement may have been the community itself. Students arrived from different countries, cultures, and professional backgrounds, bringing with them a rich diversity of experiences and perspectives. Through group projects, classroom discussions, office-hour conversations, and many hours of collaborative work, they transformed these differences into one of their greatest strengths.

Migration Studies and Policy

Professor Melissa Siegel highlights the richness that students brought into the Migration Studies specialisation.

Over the course of the year, students explored migration theory and practice through tutorials, seminars, migration profiles, presentations, oral examinations, and professional development activities. Discussions were lively and informed by an exceptionally diverse cohort, ranging from students at the beginning of their professional journeys to those with significant experience working in the field.

The variety of academic, professional, and cultural backgrounds enriched classroom conversations and created valuable opportunities for peer learning. As Professor Siegel notes, studying is not only about the education received but also about the memories, experiences, and relationships formed along the way.

Governance of Innovation

Dr Fabiana Visentin reflects that the Governance of Innovation specialisation provided students with the opportunity to explore how innovation shapes economic development, public policy, and sustainable growth.

Students examined what innovation is, why it matters, and who the key actors are within innovation systems. Coming from backgrounds ranging from law to economics and beyond, they developed the skills needed to support policymakers in designing, monitoring, and evaluating innovation policies.

Particular attention was devoted to the opportunities and challenges arising from digital transformation, including questions of data privacy, job displacement, inequality, and the ethical dimensions of technological change. Students also explored the twin green and digital transitions and their implications for sustainable development.

A defining feature of the specialisation was the integration of theory and practice. Classroom learning was complemented by a study visit to Geneva, where students engaged directly with international organisations and practitioners. Highlights included two days of training at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a visit to the Consulate General of India, and the opportunity to explore the historic headquarters of the World Trade Organization.

Throughout the year, students worked collaboratively to develop policy proposals addressing real-world challenges and supporting progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. In doing so, they grew not only as policy professionals but also as a team, learning from one another and applying multidisciplinary perspectives to complex problems.

Looking Ahead

As the Class of 2025–2026 prepares to embark on the next stage of their professional journeys, there is much to celebrate.

This cohort has demonstrated intellectual curiosity, analytical rigour, resilience, and a genuine commitment to public service. They have challenged themselves, supported one another, and embraced the opportunity to learn from a diverse community of peers and faculty.

Most importantly, they leave the programme not only with new knowledge and skills, but also with lasting friendships, professional networks, and a shared commitment to making a positive contribution to society.

On behalf of everyone at UNU-MERIT and Maastricht University, we congratulate the MPP Class of 2025–2026 and wish them every success in the years ahead.