The Erasmus Mundus Joint Master on Coordinated Humanitarian Response, Health and Displacement (Human Response) aims to provide a unique multidisciplinary program, bringing together European and African universities for higher education in the area of ​​humanitarian response, rescue assistance, and displacement in volatile contexts.

HumanResponse establishes an educational platform where European and African partners build a resilient global workforce to address future humanitarian crises. Amid current conflicts and escalating climate catastrophes, HumanResponse addresses the pressing need for professionalization of humanitarian workers.

Why this program?

• Increase professionalization and coordination capacity
Equip humanitarian professionals with the strategic and operational capacity necessary for cooperation and coordination of humanitarian responses among diverse stakeholders.

• Strengthen localized leadership
Prepare students and professionals from countries affected by conflict and natural disasters, and others, to occupy national and international leadership positions in humanitarian action.

• Articulating Theory and Practice
The curriculum is taught by academics and professionals, emphasizing learning based on teaching methodologies that prioritize problem-solving and opportunities for applying knowledge, valuing, articulating, and promoting global experiences and knowledge.

Program Structure
Semester 1, Iscte (Portugal) - Introduction to Humanitarian Action, its theoretical foundations, methodology, health, and operational and logistical management. Focuses on a global approach to humanitarian action.

Semester 2, NTNU (Norway) - Specialization courses in Global Health and advanced research methodology, as well as humanitarian design and innovation (technology and systems).

Between the 2nd and 3rd semesters (mandatory Summer School) - Two-week module with ECTS credits that provides students with contact with institutions (Associated Partners) that implement rescue interventions in countries affected by humanitarian crises, namely Cape Verde (entry 1 - June 2026).

Semester 3, Makerere (Uganda) - social support, displacement, and the intersection between humanitarian aid and development aid, providing firsthand knowledge of local and highly contextualized humanitarian responses in volatile contexts affected by natural and man-made disasters.

Semester 4 – students' trajectory may include universities and APs from five continents: Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and South America to develop research and complete their dissertation.

Throughout the two years, students have the opportunity to learn a language in different semesters: Portuguese in the 1st semester, Kiswahili in the 3rd semester, and Spanish or Arabic in the 4th semester.

Mandatory Course Units:
Concepts, Foundations and Challenges in Humanitarian Action

Public Health in Humanitarian Action

Management in Humanitarian Action

Research Methodology

Advancing Perspectives in Public Health

Innovation in Global Health

Humanitarian Design

Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources

Conflict, Security and Development

Advanced Counseling in Social Work

Fieldwork/Internship

Dissertation in Coordinated Humanitarian Response

Field visits

More information

Get in touch with the team: humanresponse@iscte-iul.pt   

Consult the Erasmus Mundus Human Response master's program website 

Why this Programme?

The Social Psychology of Transformation (SPOT) Joint Erasmus Mundus Master is a two-year Programme, awarding 120 ECTS. Through this programme, students will be trained as part of a new generation of psychologists—both practitioners and researchers, developing expertise in transformative leadership, conflict and cooperation, and environmental psychology.

Programme Structure

The Social Psychology of Transformation (SPOT) programme focus on "Transformative Leadership", "Conflict and Cooperation" and "Environment and Sustainability." It involves mandatory study periods at IPU Berlin (Germany), ISCTE (Portugal), and the University of Padua (Italy), along with a 20 ECTS internship, preferably in Serbia or Bosnia and Herzegovina. The curriculum consists of 10 modules, including a student-organised summer school.

Semester 1 (IPU Berlin)

Focuses on foundational concepts across 3 modules and on practices of scientific research in a 4th module:

• Transformative Leadership I (Societal Transformations | Ethical Dilemmas | Leadership & Sustainability)
• Conflict and Cooperation I (Psychoanalysis & Conflict Dynamics or Epistemology & Subject Theory | Social Psychology of Violence or Social Influence | Action-oriented Interventions I)
• Environment and Sustainability I (Environmental Psychology | Digital Transformation & Sustainability)
• Advanced Research Methods (Research Workshop | Qualitative Research Design | Cross-cultural Methods or Multivariate Statistics)

Semester 2 (ISCTE Lisbon)

Focuses on the driving forces behind socio-environmental conflicts and their transformation towards sustainability while building on the knowledge gained in the 3 basic modules:

• Transformative Leadership II (Community Psychology | Social Intervention Programs)
• Conflict and Cooperation II (Social Trauma | Action-oriented Interventions II or Intergroup Conflicts)
• Environment and Sustainability II (Environment, Justice and Health | Social Psychology & Environment)

Semester 3 (University of Padua)

Focuses on cross-cultural psychology and includes 1 module:

• Cultural Diversity in Organizational Psychology (Cross-Cultural Issues in Personnel Psychology | Human Rights or Psychology of Inclusion and Social Sustainability)

Summer School

Students organise an online summer school on "Digital Transformation and Sustainability," selecting speakers and designing the programme. The process is supported by partner universities, with financial and organisational backing.

Internship

A 20 ECTS internship in Serbia or Bosnia and Herzegovina, supervised by professional psychologists, offers hands-on experience in post-conflict societies amid democratisation processes, focusing on psychosocial support and community interventions. Students are guaranteed placement within a diverse network of NGOs and civil society organisations in these countries.  Alternatively, students may fulfil the 20 ECTS requirement through an internship at an organisation or in a country of their choice, provided that the internship meets the standards and conditions set by the SPOT programme.

Thesis

After completing the internship, students write a master’s thesis under supervision from two partner universities, with an oral defence required for graduation.

More information

For more information see the SPOT Master's website

Why this programme?

The Erasmus Mundus Master's in Psychology of Global Mobility, Inclusion and Social Diversity - Global MINDS is a 2-year master's programme, which awards 120 ECTS and focuses on perspectives on contemporary social and societal issues in Social and Cultural Psychology. The master's programme is taught in English and is designed to provide high-quality international training in scientific knowledge and practical skills in the field of social and cultural psychology. Aimed at students with a bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in psychology, it enables psychology graduates to enhance their employability.

Programme structure

The programme includes compulsory mobility between universities, and an international network of associated partners ensures high quality international internships and support for students entering the job market.

Students can choose between 3 programmes depending on the area in which they wish to focus their studies: A - Culture and Diversity, B - Mobility and Society and C - Inclusion and Health.

This Master's programme is taught jointly by Iscte - Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (Portugal); the University of Limerick (Ireland); SWPS - University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Poland) and the University of Oslo (Norway). When applying for the programme, students must structure their preference within the 3 possible mobility options:

Mobility option A (Culture and Diversity):

• Semester 1: Iscte-Instituto Universitários de Lisboa
• Semester 2: University of Limerick
• Summer School at the University of Limerick                                                  
• Semesters 3 and 4 - Iscte-Instituto Universitários de Lisboa or University of Limerick

Mobility option B (Mobility and Society):

• Semester 1: SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities
• Semester 2: University of Oslo                                                                                        
• Summer School at the University of Limerick                                                                  
• Semesters 3 and 4 - SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities or University of Oslo

Mobility option C (Inclusion and Health):

• Semester 1: SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities
• Semester 2: University of Limerick                                                                                
• Summer School at the University of Limerick                                                              
• Semesters 3 and 4 - SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities or University of Limerick

More information

For more information see the MINDS Global Master's website

Why this Programme?

The Erasmus Mundus Masters in Social Work with Children and Young People - ESWOCHY is a 2-year, 120 ECTS programme taught in English by a consortium of 4 universities: Iscte-Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (Portugal), Mykolas Romeris University (Lithuania), the University of Riga (Latvia), the Catholic University of Ruzomberok (Slovakia). The Erasmus Mundus ESWOCHY Master's programme is based on three pillars:

• Humanistic perspective;
• Intercultural communication;
• Digital social work.

The Master's programme aims to prepare professionals at an international and intercultural level for social work with young people and children.

The study programme is designed to train specialists with the following competences:

• Knowledge of national and European policies regarding children and young people;
• Knowledge of human rights and diversity;
• Ability to plan, coordinate and innovate in social work;
• Ability to effectively organise social work with various youth groups;
• Mediation skills to ensure dialogue between different ethnic groups.

Programme structure

Throughout their academic career, students will visit different universities:

• Semester 1 - Mykolas Romeris University (Lithuania)
• Semester 2 - Riga Stradins University (Latvia)
• Semester 3 - Ruzomberok Catholic University (Slovakia)
• Semester 4 - Iscte - Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (Portugal)

More information

For more information see the ESWOCHY Master's website