Both programmes have a full inter-university structure with active participation and involvement in decision-making of the partner institutions. Partner institutions have a high level of achievement in human rights and democratisation issues and are involved in academic and practical-logistical matters. Both bridge gaps between different academic environments and cut through language barriers. The Malta Master relies on a larger group of partners, including partners from outside the region. Selecting and integrating partners is an issue which requires knowledge and experience in the region. Both Master programmes have been successful in establishing an academic network which is suitable to their needs and objectives. Formally, recognition of the degree in partner countries is guaranteed, but the Malta Master might have to ensure that this is translated onto the practical level. Both Master put strong emphasis on operation skill-building activities, using partly the same tools (moot exercises, case discussions, clinical work, reading and writing exercises). Given their different student bodies, the Pretoria Master emphasis legal skills, whereas the Malta Master necessarily goes beyond legal skills. Teaching staff is acutely aware of the need for operational skill-building activities and engaged in this area.
Both Master programmes are able to make use of an acknowledged academic journal which is distributed within the region and outside to further research and publish selected dissertations. The Malta Master also makes use of a Newsletter to distribute information on the programme.
The Masters differ in their success as far as the internship program is concerned. The Pretoria Master has a more formalised system, including a follow-up to students activities. In the Malta Master, only few students opt for an internship. While part of this can be explained by the different student bodies (many mid- career professionals in the Malta Master, more graduate students without work experience in the Pretoria Master), a more focused and better organised internship program in the Malta Master might be a benefit. Additional resources might be necessary to this end.
The Malta Masters allows for various types of activities, including a one-week tour through European human rights institutions. The African Masters includes field trips (so far to Rwanda and the ICTR in Arusha.) The mid-term academic conference in the Malta Masters is met by a similar type of meeting at the activity in the Pretoria Master where a workshop for presentation of dissertation outlines are presented and discussed.
The Mandela award in the Pretoria Master could serve as an example for establishing a similar type of award in other programmes using adequate high- profile personalities or institutions.
The quality and content of teaching must be described as high-level, rewarding and demanding in both Masters programmes. Both draw on a great number of experts from within and outside the region. The curriculum differs to quite an extent due to the different objectives and background of students. While the Pretoria Masters is an LLM in human rights, the Malta Masters is not only inter-disciplinary but goes well beyond human rights teaching into areas such as conflict-resolution and inter- cultural dialogue. These approaches are distinct feature of the Masters
The length of the Master programmes and the components of the Master programmes has been a matter of discussion. The Malta Master has recently successfully extended the first semester, although it remains still a very demanding and tightly scheduled semester. The time-frame for dissertation is too short and should be extended, while an extension of the whole programme does not seem advisable. The timing of the internship should also be made more flexible. The Pretoria Master faces the same problem of a very tight schedule with little time for reflection. In this case, a number of interviewees emphasised the need to find ways to deal with this, for instance by adding 2-3 months for the completion and hand in of the dissertation.
One source of concern in the Pretoria Master – the lack of guidance and assistance students receive to counter the ‘flying-teacher’ – phenomenon – is remedied in the Malta Master with an excellent system of formal and informal tutoring in small groups and individually throughout the programme. This system is very successful, but requires adequate resources.
The Malta Masters is more focused on providing information on the EU’s human rights activities and policies; the Pretoria Masters is on the way of integrating this issue better into its curriculum.
The selection process of students is transparent, standardised and successful in securing a diverse and high-level group of students in both programmes. Neither language barriers, educational or academic background seriously impede the selection of students. Both programmes offer English language courses. In the case of the Malta Master, adjustments are being considered to encourage more applications from Northern Mediterranean countries, while the balance between regional and international students meets the requirements in the Commission’s terms of reference. In the Pretoria Master, this requirement is not met, but the issue is under discussion.
The system of student representation is successful in both programmes, and both programmes succeed in ensuring consistency in the examination and assessment of dissertations. Both Master programmes allow for evaluation of teaching staff and experts.
Both programmes offer scholarships for students from within the region. The Malta Master allows fee-paying students from outside the Mediterranean region in. This has not been the case in the Pretoria Masters, although this is an option
suggested for further discussion as a way of allowing students from other regions to enter the program.
The Pretoria Master puts more emphasis on following up graduates’ career development, while little information on this is available in the Malta Master. Both programmes look into the possibility of establishing alumni associations, but have no clear vision about the format and objectives of such associations.
In both Masters programmes, the effectiveness as to the objectives, the relevance for the stakeholders, the issue of ownership of host institutions and the impact on the stakeholders can be answered positively.
7. Recommendations