Making a global impact through local internships
Master of Development Practice students Talia Rodriguez and Lina Nassir complete their field placements and empower communities around the world.
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The Master of Development Practice (MDP) is empowering the next generation of global development professionals. This one-year, course-based program prepares graduates to identify and address the challenges of extreme poverty and sustainable development. In their final term, MDP students can enroll in DEVP 611 – Field Placement. Students spend four months contributing to the development field, working with a local community partner on a particular development challenge. This year, three students completed DEVP 611, including Talia Rodriguez and Lina Nassir.
Lina Nassir
Nassir joined the MDP program after completing a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Ontario. She has always been interested in foreign policy and environmental studies and obtained an honours specialization in International Relations. She chose the MDP program to pursue her interest in global development and for the hands-on experience of the placement.
Nassir completed her placement working with Dr. Simron Singh on the RECOVER (Resilience to Climate Vulnerability and Environmental Risk) project. RECOVER focuses on enhancing small islands’ capacity to adapt to climate change through more inclusive and research-informed decision environments. Working as an intern, Nassir supports the project by supporting and contributing to the development and functionality of the Metabolism of Islands (MOI) Database. The MOI Database is an open-source database that allows researchers to both access and contribute data to the platform in an accessible way, ensuring all perspectives are represented. “I really enjoyed how versatile this experience has been, and the global scale it has”, says Nassir. “I have been able to excel in numerous skills while communicating with different partners globally and understanding the various perspectives.”
After completing the MDP program, Nassir hopes to enter the workforce and translate what she has learned in the MDP program into practice.
Talia Rodriguez
Rodriguez joined the MDP program with a Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning from Toronto Metropolitan University. While in her undergraduate program, she gained an interest in preserving the natural world and planning spaces to help foster prosperity. She chose the MDP program for her graduate studies because of her interests in both environmental planning and sustainable development.
Rodriguez completed her placement remotely with Life for Water, a non-profit organization based in Egypt. LFW provides water solutions for rural communities in Africa, including solar powered shallow wells, water dams, and rainwater harvesting systems. Rodriguez worked as their Community Development and Empowerment Intern, where she was responsible for creating a new framework to improve LFW’s community engagement and sustainability. One part of this process was interviewing individuals who were responsible for scouting locations and implementing the water projects. “These conversations helped me gain a better perspective on the issues being faced in the villages,” says Rodriguez. “These interviews reinforced my understanding of the importance of community engagement when tackling sustainability issues as solutions must be local and community driven.”
After completing the MDP program, Rodriguez wants to work in the sustainable development field. She hopes to remain in a non-profit work environment where she can help others and contribute meaningful work.
By integrating the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainable development, the MDP program prepares students to become compassionate, informed professionals. The DEVP 611 – Field Placement bridges classroom learning with practical application, empowering students to build essential workplace skills and contribute to development initiatives worldwide. Graduates leave the MDP program ready to lead with purpose and insight.
