Satisfied employees, successful company
Sustainability is not only important in environmental protection but also in the workplace. At the first alumni conference, international graduates of Nürtingen-Geislingen University talked about how personal happiness and economic success can be united.
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New courses support re-integration
For many graduates of Development-Related Postgraduate Courses (EPOS) it can be a challenge to reintegrate into life back home after studying abroad. Special reintegration courses are now available to help ease the transition. The first of its kind was a course offered jointly by TU Dortmund and Ruhr University Bochum.
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2015 TROPENTAG conference presents latest agricultural research
From September 16 -18, some 1,000 participants from 70 countries attending the 2015 Tropentag conference in Berlin discussed how the world can use resources more equitably, ensure food security and fight poverty in the developing world.
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An up-close look at flood protection
Every year students in the Hydro Science and Engineering Master’s degree programme at the Technische Universität Dresden (TU Dresden) study the flow of the Elbe, one of Central Europe’s major rivers. A study tour teaches them up close about modern flood protection and how countries can collaborate across borders to improve the effectiveness of protection measures.
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Online course with worldwide impact
Participants from 183 countries logged in to take part in the first MOOC conducted by the Cologne University of Applied Sciences. Especially participants from developing countries wanted to use the free online course to learn more about coping with the effects of climate change.
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Resolving conflicts, preserving peace
Whether it’s Southern Africa, the Middle East or Afghanistan – many regions of the world are beset by political or military conflict today. The Master’s Programme “Peace and Conflict Studies” at the University of Magdeburg is focused on easing such tensions.
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Critical Look at German Nature Conservation
Germany is considered an international pioneer in the areas of nature conservation and sustainability. Nevertheless, 40 international Germany-alumni found surprising results on the island Ruegen.
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The art and science of making the right decision
Even among the poor, health problems are most often avoidable or curable; what’s often missing is the political will. Detailed analysis of a given situation can provide the necessary impetus to act. The key is making the right decision – an art and science being taught at Heidelberg University’s Institute of Public Health.
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“The scars in our city”
In the wake of the 2012 revolution, the number of sexual assaults on women in public is on the rise in Cairo. At the same time, offenders face hardly any legal consequences. Initiatives such as HarassMap want to change this. DAAD scholarship holder Mohamed El-Khateeb reports on the topic and his work for HarassMap.
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Society without growth
“The energy transition won’t succeed without fundamental cultural change,” explained Oliver Richters at the Sustainability and Renewable Energy workshop held at the University of Oldenburg. The physicist and chairman of the Vereinigung für Ökologische Ökonomie (society for ecological economy) focuses on the ‘post-growth’ society.
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Mathematics as a key technology
Large factories, public administration, water supply systems – none of these could work well without mathematics. At the University of Kaiserslautern, doctoral candidates from developing countries are preparing themselves accordingly.
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Getting ready for work in the field of development cooperation
Two summer schools form part of the Development Management (MADM) Master’s programme at the Ruhr-University Bochum and the University of the Western Cape in Cape Town. Students are given the chance to practice statistical methodologies and get to know the field of development work.
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Strengthening Local Agriculture
Bonn University’s Agricultural Sciences and Resource Management in the Tropics and Subtropics (ARTS) programme is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Using creative approaches, ARTS prepares students for innovative careers in agriculture.
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No Development without innovation
What role does innovation play in developing countries? A very large one, says Professor Utz Dornberger, head of the development-related postgraduate programme Small Enterprise Promotion and Training (SEPT) at University of Leipzig. That is why Innovation management is a permanent part of the curriculum.
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Complex Solutions for Arid Regions
Managing the water resources of this world successfully, requires more than engineering know-how. Students in the course “Integrated Water Resources Management” at the Cologne University of Applied Sciences also acquire knowledge about economics, environmental policy and culture.
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New website: Development-related degree programmes in Germany
The website of the German Association of Postgraduate Programmes with Special Relevance to Developing Countries (AGEP) provides a comprehensive list of Master’s and PhD programmes offered at German universities in development-related areas, many of which are funded by the DAAD.
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Preserving Ecosystems and their Biodiversity
Climate change, commercial interests, and the destructive use of land are threatening ecosystems worldwide, such as India’s biodiverse rainforests. Specialists in the “Landscape Ecology and Nature Conservation” (LENC) Master’s programme are being trained to face just these kinds of problems.
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An award-winning idea
“Light of Hope”, an award-winning project developed by students from the Energy and Environmental Management in Developing Countries (EEM) programme at the University of Flensburg, helps finance schools in developing countries.
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Robin Pass: The go-to person for all networkers
Network Coordinator Robin Pass wants one thing: more interaction and exchange between and among the development-related postgraduate courses.
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Premiere in Vietnam: Students conduct research in national park
For the fifth time, students from the Tropical and International Forestry (TIF) Master’s programme at the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen head off to a partner country to develop a forest management plan. This year’s trip to the Cuc Phuong National Park is the first time, however, that the programme visits Vietnam. Before embarking on their four weeks of research, TIF students met with Anke Stahl, the new director of the DAAD Regional Office in Hanoi.
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Green light for improved urban development and planning
Twenty-two architects, civil engineers and social scientist are the first to graduate from the new German-Arab Master’s programme. With their final exams behind them, the group of multi-national students realise just how much their time together has transformed them.
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The fruits of networking: New ideas
How can we make the German-Arab Master’s programmes even more attractive? What can be done to better support alumni just starting off their careers? These were just some of the questions discussed by representatives from both Germany and Arab nations during a meeting held mid-September at the Gustav-Stresemann-Institut (GSI) in Bonn. The President of Helwan University in Cairo was among the attending.
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Important questions for managers
A company’s track record in both social responsibility and sustainable business practices is becoming increasingly important in the employer selection process. For businesses, the question remains a sticky one: How does one strike a balance between economic growth and environmental and social stewardship? These and other issues are addressed in a course called “Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainability” given at Nürtingen-Geislingen University.
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Hard work that has paid off
The joint multi-national programme in Environment and Resources Management (ENREM) from the Cologne University of Applied Sciences and the Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí in Mexico is six years old this year. The interdisciplinary and intercultural Master’s programme has a lot to offer the 21 students that enroll each year. The beginning of this now successful programme was challenging, however.
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Succeeding beyond the lecture hall
The language barrier is not the only thing that makes it difficult to settle into life at a new university, in a new city, and in a strange new country. To help ease the transition, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) began providing international students with an extra measure of intercultural support. Starting in 2012, specially trained tutors were assigned to incoming Resources Engineering Master’s programme candidates from Africa, Asia and South America so that the newcomers could not only begin learning German, but also learn about German culture and how best to navigate their new surroundings.
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Managing public health challenges professionally
Founded in 1999, the International Health Master’s degree programme at the Charité university hospital in Berlin focuses on poverty-related health problems in developing and threshold countries. The curriculum integrates elements from healthcare, epidemiology, tropical medicine, as well as economics and management. In the following interview, programme director Dr. Matthias Borchert talks about some of the distinguishing features of the programme and the career opportunities open to programme graduates.
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“All we can do is report the best possible truth”
Deutsche Welle Akademie provides training to media professionals with international backgrounds. In 2009 the educational arm of the Germany public-sector broadcasting service began offering a two-year Master’s programme for young professionals in cooperation with the University of Bonn and the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences. Key aspects of the International Media Studies curriculum include critical, ethically-sound journalism, democratic principles and intercultural understanding.
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Rubbing shoulders with decision-makers
Delegates from 194 nations met at the Doha Climate Change Conference to continue talks on measures that will determine the environmental future of our planet. And the students from the Tropical and International Forestry Master’s programme in Göttingen were there to witness it first-hand. As participants in the DAAD-sponsored workshop, the students sat in on the sixth annual Forest Day, a conference on the role of forests and their impacts on climate held in conjunction with the climate summit.
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20 Years of SEPT – Happy Birthday!
The unique DAAD postgraduate degree programme Small Enterprise Promotion and Training (SEPT) looks back on 20 successful years. At the Universität Leipzig, international guests came together for a birthday celebration and alumni seminar.
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Video
“I make use of what I learned in Germany every day”, says Theresa Madubuko. In the video, she talks about what she learned during her studies in Heidelberg and how she is putting this knowledge to work today.
The five sparks for change
Science and good practice must go hand in hand if we are to confront today’s most pressing challenges. This is the opinion of Anwar Fazal, activist from Malaysia and recipient of the Right Livelihood Award, also known as the Alternative Nobel Prize. Fazal speaks here as well as at the anniversary conference in Bonn about the importance of pioneering initiatives.
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Combining head, heart and hands
What do young people who want to change the world need? According to Anwar Fazal, they need their head, heart and hands. In our interview, Alternative Noble laureate explains what else is important for future world shapers.
“Mindset is part of the problem”
The scholarship holders of the DAAD Masters program in Environmental Governance have invited one of the thought leaders in the area of sustainable development to their Freiburg conference: Professor Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker. The physicist and biologist served as director of the UNO Center for Science and Technology in New York and of the Institute for European Environmental Policy. He also helped establish the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy as its co-founder. In his newest book “Factor Five”, von Weizsäcker presents a strong case for sustainable, environmentally-friendly business practices.
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When cities become fragile
In North Africa and the Middle East, cities are growing at such a fast pace that their infrastructures are struggling to keep up. What kind of strategies can cities adopt to face this challenge? Scholars together with students enrolled in the German-Arab Master’s programme explore potential solutions during the “Integrated Urbanism Dialogue” held at Ain Shams University in Cairo.
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“Always check the weather forecast!”
How have the first few weeks in Germany been for new DAAD scholarship holders? We asked four graduate students – Diana Herrera Leon, Edral Pratam, Nisa Shalizad Butt and Ando Razafindrazaka. In Part II, the four scholarship holders talk about what surprised them most about Germany. They also shared some tips and pointers for future scholarship holders.
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Everything from culture shock and to helpful Germans
The new semester has begun, and for many of the international students enrolled in postgraduate courses, this marks the beginning of a new life. First impressions, strange experiences, problems and homesickness – four graduate students talk about their first few weeks in Germany.
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„Germany is open-minded and modern”
He has just finished what many DAAD scholarship holders still have before them – a study-stay in Germany. Sam Oguah from Ghana is an electrical engineer and studied in Flensburg. In the interview he talks about how to make the most of your study programme.
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“Alaaf” and “Helau”
“Met ner pappnas gebore, dr Dom in dr Täsch, han mir uns jeschwore, mer jon unsre Wääch…” – is that really the German language? And if so, what does it mean? A hint: February is high season for carnival in Germany.
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Christmas is all around…
For many scholarship holders, this is their first Christmas in Germany. Even if they are Christian, the Christmas holiday is celebrated much differently than in their home countries.
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Video
Waleed Mohsin Fatth is from Yemen currently spending two year in Berlin as a DAAD scholar. Click on the questions during the interview and hear what he has to say!
A successful career
“It’s easy for me to work for a German organisation because I think German,” says Ganeshamoorthy Jegan from Sri Lanka. In the video, he talks about what he learned in Germany and how he overcame culture shock.
Going the extra mile
When Mayra Virgina Herrera Gomez thinks about Millennium Express, she immediately thinks of the unusually high level of commitment demonstrated by the scholarship holders, the advisors and the university instructors. No matter where they were – in a workshop, a conference or in the classroom – “they went the extra mile in everything they did,” says Mayra. In the video she talks about what she liked the most and about the challenges that await her in her home country of El Salvador.
Video
How does a DAAD scholarship effect your personal development and career? Hear what scholarship holders and alumni have to say.
Álvaro Díaz Bustamente: “Investment in minds”
Álvaro Díaz Bustamente from Chile explains how his country and he personally contributes through DAAD’s unique “Development-Related Postgraduate Courses” programme.
Gabriele Becker: “Vielfalt entdecken”
Experiencing diversity, learning from each other, building networks – Gabriele Bäcker from Ruhr-Universität Bochum explains why alumni are able to play a key role as multipliers in their home countries.
Solutions for Cairo
Urbanism is the topic of the conference „Integrated Resilience“ which will be in September in Cairo. International experts will think about solutions for the problems of the Egyptian capital. In our interview, Mohamed Salheen talks about these challenges and how German-Arab Programmes can support this processes. Salheen works as a professor at Ain Shams University in Cairo and is responsible for the bi-cultural Programme „Integrated Urbanism and Sustainable Design“.
