Master’s Award Ceremony 2023 Celebrates Liisi Ylä-Kotola

During an exceptional conference reception at Helsinki City Hall, the evaluation committee recognized Ylä-Kotola’s thesis as a noteworthy contribution to development studies.

In February 2024, UniPID and the Finnish Society for Development Research (FSDR) jointly organized the Development Days Conference: Crisis and Futures of/in Development. As part of the programme, the City of Helsinki hosted a delightful reception at the Old Court House for conference participants. Amidst the warm evening, the Master’s Award in Development Studies 2023 was announced.

Liisa Laakso, chair of the final evaluation committee was glad to announce Liisi Ylä-Kotola as this year’s award recipient, while granting honorary mentions to Luna Erica, Anniina Urvas, Bhumika Bandodker, and Lan Huong Nguyen.

Ylä-Kotola completed her thesis “Perspectives on social work values from the Palestinian refugee camps of Lebanon: A decolonial approach” as part of her master’s program in Social Work at Tampere University. The evaluation committee recognized her work as a significant contribution to development studies, applauding its innovative approach to discussing values within the professional discipline of social work. The evaluators highlighted the relevance of her observations on the universality of certain values and the influence of the local community on the emphasis, especially in the context of contemporary international humanitarian aid and development work, in general. Ylä-Kotola’s thesis also incorporates a critical perspective within the field of social work, particularly concerning the discourse on decoloniality.

During her speech, the awardee expressed her honor and gratitude, acknowledging all those who contributed to her achievement. Ylä-Kotola gave a special recognition to the social workers of the Palestinian refugee camps of Lebanon for generously sharing their thoughts and insights.

“In my thesis I aimed to question social work's universal value base through a decolonial lens. Beyond contributing to the ongoing discussion on decoloniality in development studies and social work and exploring the tension between universality and contextuality of social work values, I aimed to shed light on the lasting effects of continuous colonial actions on Palestine and the Palestinian diaspora.” Ylä-Kotola stated.

This year, 16 students submitted their theses to the call. The participants represented six of our member universities and a diverse array of multidisciplinary programs and approaches within the Development Studies field. The pre-selection and final evaluation committees faced a challenging endeavor, as this year brought not only a substantial number of submissions but also a high standard in the quality of the pieces. Undoubtedly, the evaluation process was as challenging as rewarding.

UniPID and the FSDR express special gratitude to the evaluation committee members Liisa Laakso, Henri Onodera and Pekka Seppälä. Warm recognition is extended to Juliana Rodrigues, Crystal Green, Omotomilola Ikotun, Raihanatul Jannat, Taiwo Bamgboye, Eeva Mäkinen, Satu Jarvinen, and Zahra Edalati, members of the pre-evaluation committee, for their efforts and excellent work in the evaluation.

What is next? Stay tuned to our social media channels (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn) and mailing list to be among the first to know about our next Master’s Award call and other news that might be of your interest. In the meantime, find more information about the Master’s Award in Development Studies here: https://www.unipid.fi/students/masters-award/

Photo credits: Martin Adams, 2018 on UnSplash.