The Observatory of Decentralised Cooperation EU-LA and the Open University of Catalonia (UOC) are launching the thirteenth edition of their online training course in Decentralised Cooperation. The training takes place from 17 April to 30 June 2018. The course is part of the Observatory's training initiative, spearheaded by the Diputació de Barcelona and the Montevideo City Council, which is aimed at fostering local public policies in the spheres of social cohesion, political leadership and decentralised cooperation.
Content: Linking the well-being of citizens and decentralised cooperation relations
This course aims to provide local governments with the tools to tackle the challenge of finding opportunities to improve the well-being of their citizens through decentralised cooperation relations. This is a specialisation within international relations and cooperation, closely linked to development and local governance. The training is designed to adapt to the new reality in international relations, taking into account the increased weight of relationships of exchange as compared to assistance, in a world in which the so-called north-south divide is becoming increasingly blurred. The result is a course comprising 5 modules that is designed to support the efforts of local governments to project themselves on the international stage.
Training available in three languages
The thirteenth edition of the course can be followed in English, Spanish and French, to stimulate participation from the largest possible number of countries. This will likely lead to a broader diversity of visions and experiences, leading to a richer training.
Target audience
The programme primarily targets technical and political decision-makers in international relations and development cooperation at local and regional governments. Similarly, it encourages the participation of applicants from other spheres of government, who guide and manage decentralised cooperation programmes.
The course will run in Spanish, English and French, at the same time, so that candidates from all countries in the world speaking either of those two languages may apply.
Applications and admissions
A total of 35 places are offered for each of the three language modalities (English, Spanish and French). The course carries no cost for participants since the training is offered entirely through scholarships sponsored by the Barcelona Provincial Government.
Candidates from all nationalities can apply for the course, provided they conduct their professional activity in the field of decentralised cooperation. Once all the applications have been received, the evaluation committee will review the various profiles and select the 35 successful applicants for each of the two language modalities. The selection process will take into account the applicant's suitability in connection with the target audience profile described above, and will seek to ensure a balanced intake, with participants from as many countries as possible. All applicants will receive an email at the end of the process informing them as to whether or not they have been selected.
The course takes place over 3 months and has a total of 60 equivalent class hours. Participants who successfully complete the course will receive a certificate issued by the Open University of Catalonia (UOC).
Key dates:
2 April 2018: Registration period closes
17 April 2018: Course starts.
30 June 2018: Course ends.
More information:
Link to Application form
Observatory contact email: riveraea@diba.cat