Laurens, 2024 Summa Cum Laude in International Governance and Diplomacy

Firstly, I would say time management. Insofar as possible, namely, I scheduled deadlines strategically by spreading them out over the semester, and I continuously prioritised tasks based on their urgence and relative importance. Secondly, I relied extensively on my writing abilities, because producing policy briefs, memos, essays, research papers and strategic plans is a cornerstone of PSIA’s practice-oriented education. As such, I often found it useful to focus on coherently structuring my thoughts and building convincing arguments by thoroughly yet succinctly synthesising complex information. Lastly, teamwork forms an integral part of the Master in International Governance and Diplomacy, so, in order to successfully complete its many group projects, I regularly utilised my communication skills, too.

Career-wise, I think the most valuable part of my PSIA experience is that the Master in International Governance and Diplomacy has not only taught me how to conduct policyoriented research and produce high-quality written outputs which concisely address real-world issues, but also given me a multidisciplinary toolkit filled with useful insights, analytical lenses and key lessons from the domains of international politics, law and economics which I can draw upon in doing so. Indeed – as I am sure it will in the future – this excellent combination has already been most helpful in driving my day-to-day work at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Clingendael Institute.

Hard work will pay off, but for sustained success, a healthy work-life balance is crucial too. Make sure you have people around you who remind you of this whenever necessary. Foster strong personal bonds with fellow students to build ever-lasting friendships. Invest in your foreign languages. And, lastly, find your passion and steer your career path towards your dream job by taking courses that excite you, writing about topics you may want to work on later, and talking regularly to professors, advisors, alumni, researchers and practitioners who are active in your field(s) of interest.