Studying – and, by extension, doing – international development is one of the most fascinating and rewarding experiences one can undertake. It’s not because you are going to solve poverty, or overnight discover a cure for malaria, but there is something sanguine about joining the field in spite of how depressingly overwhelming the problems often seem.
However, studying international development is not only a moral privile ge but also a financial privilege. A one-year degree in development studies cost between £9,300 and £15,000 in SOAS, LSE, and Cambridge, and if you are an overseas student this can go up to £24,549 (Cambridge). Last year, I was lucky enough to be accepted in Oxford’s two-year MPhil in Development Studies, which totaled a financial commitment of a little over £18,000 per year; thank god my EU passport avoided the £5,000 overseas mark-up.
Even if I was not from a lower class background, this is still an enormous sum. Although I graduated with a 3.77 GPA from a reputable college in America with double honours, I did not get any financial aid from Oxford as it amounts to me barely getting accepted in the first place. This is not to complain about my fortune of getting into one of the most prestigeous universities in the world; and my department is a haven for critical scholarship on development theory and interventions. I feel truly blessed whenever I go to class and listen to lectures from world-leading academics, engage in discussions with knowledgeable classmates from around the world, and write supervised essays on contemporary problems facing the developing world. Unfortunately, however, the price tag of this experience alone is a powerful reminder that scholarly engagement with the field of development is, indeed, an expensive prerogative.
Last year, a series of small grants from Denmark, help from my relatives and three summer jobs took care of the problem. This year, however, I have had a much harder time reaching my funding target since I was in Bhutan all summer doing research for my master’s thesis. Even with a £6,400 loan from a kind-hearted friend, I am still £4,000 short of meeting my costs. With time running out, I decided to launch a crowfunding appeal to fill in the last gap.
I would therefore really appreciate it if you would take a moment to check out my project page and give it a read (spsr.me). If it makes sense and you are able to, please consider donating. Otherwise, taking a minute to click on the link and maybe sharing it with your friends and connections is also an incredible help. Regardless, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading this and giving it a thought.
Lastly, since this is still quite a lot of money to request from charitable sources, I would like to highlight that I have pledged to carry it forward. This means that for every penny I raise during my campaign, I will eventually donate an equal amount to a similar cause in the future. It may take a few years to work off my college debt, but I truly believe that this principle is a moral obligation on my part.
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Anders K. Møller
