Social Protection (M.Sc.)

MSc Social Protection Insights: February

FEB SOCIAL PROTECTION NEWSLETTER

Mittwoch, 20. Dezember 2023

February 2024: Social Protection Insights

Happy New Year! We are thrilled to publish the sixth edition of our monthly newsletter, "MSc Social Protection Insights," dedicated to providing valuable and engaging content to our esteemed community of social protection professionals, students, lecturers, and enthusiasts. This newsletter aims to provide insights into the life at H-BRS, and is a platform for sharing news around the Master's programme.

📢 Upcoming Events! 🗓️

Social Protection Beratung StA 20220517 foto eric lichtenscheidt 11 fs22.jpg

We have a couple of online events in the month of February that we are excited to share with you all. Hope to see you there!

  • Virtual Open Day with My German University: Meet with programme coordinators, professors, and current students to learn about application requirements, student life in Germany, and programme expectations! February 15, 2024 from 16:00-17:15. More information and registration link here: https://www.h-brs.de/en/sv/event/second-virtual-open-day-msc-social-protection

  • Brown Bag Lunch with alumnus Sayanti Sengupta: Join us on February 16, 2024 from 13:00-14:30 for Sayanti's talk on: “Experiences of using social insurance schemes in past crises and lessons for Sub-Saharan Africa – Sustainable Financing of Social Protection in Sub-Sahara Africa." The meeting can be joined here: https://h-brs.webex.com/h-brs/j.php?MTID=m36349b6fd9ab380bdfd72b03279cb2eb and more information will be available on LinkedIn.

📢 Current Student, Alradi Abdalla, Awarded DAAD Prize

Another month of celebrating the amazing accomplishments of our students!! Alradi Abdalla (Batch 2022) was recently awarded the the DAAD Prize for Outstanding Achievements of International Students while studying at German universities. Alradi has been an incredible colleague and addition to our program, bringing his expertise and experience from working with the International Disability Alliance . Congratulations to Alradi on the great achievement, we are excited to see where your future leads.

📢 Markus Loewe is appointed as Honorary Professor

Honorarprofessor Markus Loewe und Hartmut Ihne bei Ernennung

We are thrilled to share the wonderful news that Markus Loewe has been appointed as Honorary Professor for "Social Protection and Inclusive Growth" at Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences (H-BRS).

As an esteemed research lead and senior researcher for transformation of economic and social systems, and regional coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) at the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), Markus brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our academic community. Markus is however not a new face for our students, alumni and colleagues as he has been teaching the Poverty and Risk Assessment and Contributory Schemes course in our Master's programme for many years.We look forward to the positive impact Markus will undoubtedly have on our students, faculty, and the broader academic landscape.

Module 4: Quantitative Methods

Batch 2023 is beginning the new year focusing on analytics and quantitative techniques.

M4.1 Econometrics // Simona Helmsmüller

  • This course deals with understanding simple linear, nonlinear, and multiple regression, as well as testing for significance bias. Additionally, students learn about internal and external validity and causality. This course is key to preparing students for their research projects and thesis.

M4.2 Evaluation

  • In the following course, students learn from social protection practitioners about the theory behind impact evaluation design, and the varying techniques, such as experimental and non-experimental. Analysis tools such as cost-benefit, and different benchmarks are introduced to show the diverse range of evaluation practices.

M4.3 Actuarial Practice

  • Module 4.3 is a hands-on course applying all that students have learned with econometrics and evaluation, along with past concepts such as demography and social insurance. Students work with the lecturer to build out an actuarial valuation model and learn the role of actuaries and actuarial methods in good governance.

Module 4 familiarizes students with both ex-ante and ex-post evaluation and analysis methods. After completion of the course, students will be familiar with different evaluation techniques to assess the impact, the cost-benefit, cost-effectiveness and efficiency of social protection programs and critically reflect on different national and international approaches to evaluations of social protection systems and make suggestions for improvements.

Get to Know Our Students, Lecturers & Alumni

Student of the Month

Name: Waqas Ahmed

Batch: 2023

Country of Origin: Pakistan

Social Protection Experience: As an EU Program Coordinator, he manages Erasmus projects focused on community development, SDG promotion, intercultural exchange, and youth empowerment. His experience also includes volunteering in Pakistan's earthquake and flood recovery efforts.

Research Interests: Migrants and the Socially Disadvantaged

„...the program provides a comprehensive understanding of the social protection field, including its theoretical underpinnings, practical applications, and global trends. The curriculum is rigorous, the faculty is experienced, and practical experience is emphasized to prepare students for a successful career in social protection. Most importantly, the program enhances critical thinking and analytical skills, which are crucial for addressing social policy challenges. Collaborating with peers on real-world projects is the program's highlight...”

Waqas Ahmed - 2023/24 Batch

Waqas Ahmed

Alumni Spotlight

Name: Oscar Darío Sánchez González

Batch: 2021

Country of Origin: Colombia

Current Role: Researcher at the European Commission Project ECO-Ready for the creation of a framework to develop contingency plans in food security crisis

Master's Thesis Topic: Government as a Platform (GaaP) in Digital Social Protection

Previous Social Protection Experience: Digital social protection consultant

 

„This programme gave me deep insights on social protection technical aspects and the opportunity to connect them with my previous experience, which I can now use for my professional life.”

Oscar Dario Gonzalez Sanchez - 2021/22 Batch

Oscar Sanchez

Meet our Lecturers

Name: Charles Crevier

Position: Programme Manager at the ITCILO

Teaching since: 2015

Course(s) in 2023/24: M4.3 Actuarial Practice

Expertise: Quantitative Techniques for Social Protection Policy Design, Actuarial Modeling, Social Budgeting, Capacity Building

 

„Teaching quantitative methodologies and actuarial practices in social protection is like guiding seasoned minds through a captivating journey of numbers, assumptions and long-term projections. Unraveling the complexities with a sprinkle of wisdom, we transform data into insights, empowering students to design evidence-based social protection policies.”

Charles Crevier - Lecturer

Charles Crevier

Resources and Publications 

Team Master Soziale Sicherung

Contact Us!

We are always interested in creating partnerships with those of you working in the field! We would love to hear from you if are interested in

Your feedback and suggestions to improve the newsletter are also very welcome.

📩 msc-socialprotection@h-brs.de