Hi everyone! My name is Catherine, and I am currently pursuing my PhD in Political Science, Security and Strategic Studies at Masaryk University’s Faculty of Social Studies. I am originally from Canada, but I moved to Brno a few years ago for my Master’s degree in Conflict and Democracy Studies, which I also completed at FSS.

About the Master’s Degree in Conflict and Democracy Studies

The Conflict and Democracy Master’s degree combines two fields of continuously rising importance and interest that are rarely studied together. As such, this unprecedented degree provides its students with the knowledge and understanding to think about the world in a unique yet paramount way.

The program brings together experts from various fields, such as environmental and energy security, extremism and terrorism, Balkan and Middle East security, cybersecurity, hybrid warfare, elections, public administration, and much more, as professors, which allows its students to learn from high-level individuals and find their particular areas of interest.

One of my favourite aspects of this degree is the diversity of classes that we have, even regarding the mandatory ones. While I already knew which fields I would like, I discovered an interest in many new topics as well. Because of this variety, the classes never felt long or repetitive, yet the material learned in one class often found itself to be useful in other classes. The assignments, projects and even class formats are often different – from discussion-based courses to conflict scenarios that our class must resolve through collaboration and negotiation, I think there is a chance for students of all types to prosper.

My experience as a Master’s student in Masaryk University’s Conflict and Democracy Studies program was overwhelmingly positive and opened many doors for me. The support and kindness I received from many professors were unparalleled and encouraged me to try my best. Overall, the program was a transformative experience that laid a solid foundation for both my academic and professional future endeavours.