Social Protection (M.Sc.)

MSc Social Protection Insights: January 2025

January 2025: Social Protection Insights

We are thrilled to publish the twelfth edition of our monthly LinkedIn 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 life at H-BRS and is a platform for sharing news around the Master's programme. Subscribe to our LinkedIn newsletter community and stay connected with like-minded individuals who share a common goal of advancing social protection practices worldwide. Our regular sections include: *News *Get to Know Our Students, Lecturers & Alumni *Resources *Contact us!

📢Admission is open for Winter Semester 2025

The application window for the winter 2024 semester of the MSc Social Protection programme is NOW OPEN! For international students, applications are accepted from December 1, 2024 until February 28, 2025 and until May 31 for students who do not require a student visa.

Interested applicants are encouraged to seize this timeframe to submit their documents online and join a dynamic community of aspiring practitioners dedicated to making meaningful contributions to the field of social protection.

Applications are only accepted via our online application portal Appolo, which can be found on our website: https://www.h-brs.de/en/sv/study/master/social-protection

📢Join our Next Virtual Open Day!

If you are interested in applying, make sure to join the Virtual Open Day to learn about the programme, ask your questions, and hear from current students. This event is specifically for those students who do not need a visa to study in Germany (Including interested students from Germany and EU as well as international students with German permanent residency status)!

📅 Date: Thursday, 6 February 2025

⏰ Time: 14:00 - 15:00 CET

💻 Modality: Online, via Zoom

🔗 Registration Link: https://www.mygermanuniversity.com/webinar/2025-02-06/study-development-political-and-social-sciences-in-germany/696

For further information, please visit our website

Brussels Excursion 2

📢 Advancing Social Protection in Germany: Highlights from the Third International Alumni Seminar

The Third International Alumni Seminar on 'Advancing Social Protection in Germany: Evaluation of Reform Needs and Proposals' concluded successfully. Funded by the DAAD German Academic Exchange Service and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) , the seminar was held from October 15 to 19, 2024, at the Department of Social Protection and Social Policy, Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences Sankt Augustin, Germany.

The five-day seminar reunited twenty-seven alumni with diverse expertise in social protection around the world, bringing them back to their alma mater. Participants engaged in discussions on policy reforms, drawing on the latest evidence and innovative practices, with a focus on Germany and the broader EU context. Notable highlights of the seminar included expert-led discussions on "The Reform Process in Germany and Its Challenges," presented by Prof. Dr. Matthias Meißner ( University of Duisburg-Essen ), and "Developments, Reforms, and Challenges of German Social Policy," led by Severin Schmidt ( Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung). The event served as a unique platform for networking, reflection, and knowledge exchange, and we look forward to hosting more such impactful events in the future.

MSc Social Protection students visit Brussels

📢 From Theory to Practice: A Study Trip to the EU Capital in Brussels

On October 18, 2024, students from the first-semester MSc Social Protection Program visited key European Union institutions (EU) in Brussels, Belgium, gaining valuable insights into the EU's role in global social protection measures. They engaged in productive discussions with representatives from the European Commission , the International Trade Union Confederation - ITUC , German Social Insurance European Representation, and European Commission Directorates-General focused on employment, social affairs, and international partnerships. Special thanks to Beatrice di Padua (ITUC), Stephanie Kohl (DSTV), Albert Borschette, Mr. Ardiel Carbera Ruiz, Diana Crumpana, and Larissa Riepl (EU Commission) for their informative presentations.

This experience offered our students a unique opportunity to network with international experts and gain a deeper understanding of international social protection practices. Students also had the chance to explore the historic Old Town of Brussels, adding a cultural element to the visit.

📢 H-BRS Graduation 2024: Celebrating Success

Our Master’s students in Social Protection who completed their studies by August of this year were honored and officially graduated at the 2024 H-BRS Graduation Ceremony. Held on October 19, 2024, at the Telekom Dome in Bonn, the event showcased artistic performances, celebrated the achievements of graduates, and included inspiring speeches from the university president and distinguished guests.

This celebration was also a special moment to recognize the dedication of our Master's students in Social Protection, who invested their significant time, effort, and passion into the programme. We wish them a bright future ahead and look forward to hearing the impactful stories of these emerging social protection experts in the years to come.

📝 Current Courses: Module 3 and 4

Currently immersed in Modules 3 and 4, students are deepening their understanding of social protection while developing crucial analytical skills.

▶️▶️Module 3

▶️3.1 Contributory schemes :Markus Loewe

With this submodules, students are equipped with the analytical tools to evaluate and design contributory social protection schemes, focusing on their application and challenges in developing economies. Students will also gain insights into innovative approaches for expanding coverage and improving the effectiveness of these schemes in diverse socioeconomic contexts.

▶️3.2 Social transfers : Mr. Brian Mathebula

This sub-module provides a comprehensive exploration of social transfer programs, enabling students to critically analyse their design, implementation, and effectiveness across different global contexts. By the end of the module, students will be equipped with analytical skills to assess the strategic design and transformative potential of social transfer programs in both global south and north settings.

▶️3.3 Promotional measures : Andrea Salvini

This course aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how international labor standards interact with and influence social protection policies, while also examining the practical application of academic knowledge in this field.

▶️ 3.4 Social services: Dr. Deepta Chopra

This course on social services in an international development context equips students with a comprehensive understanding of social care policies and practices, emphasizing evidence-based approaches, service planning, and workforce development. This Module also includes a field visit to social service provider Caritas Bonn on February 06th.

▶️▶️Module 4

▶️4.1 Statistics - Dr. Albert Opoku Frimpong

Statistics module provides students with a comprehensive understanding of probability and statistical concepts essential for rigorous data and econometric analyses. It will equip students with the foundational knowledge needed to make informed, data-driven decisions and prepare for advanced quantitative research.

▶️4.2. Econometrics :Prof. Dr. Simona Helmsmüller and Mr. Zharas Aitmambet

This program provides a comprehensive introduction to regression analysis and technical skills to critically assess empirical studies and its applications in empirical research. The submodule offers advanced hands-on training options with Excel and R.

▶️4.3 Evaluation : Prof. Dr. Simona Helmsmüller

This course equips students with a comprehensive understanding of impact evaluation methodologies, focusing on both experimental and quasi-experimental designs. A guest lecture by Mohamed Jelle from E4C demonstrates how these methods are used in practice. By the end of the course, participants will be able to critically analyse evaluation papers and design robust impact evaluations for real-world policy interventions.

▶️4.4 Demography – Prof. Dr. Simona Helmsmüller

This course on demography enables students to understand key demographic processes and their impacts on population dynamics. Students will explore concepts such as demographic transitions, ageing populations, and projections, equipping them to analyze demographic trends and their implications for social protection policies.

Get to Know Our Students, Lecturers & Alumni

Alumni Spotlight

Name: Nana Musim

Country of Origin: Germany

Current Role: Civil servant at the federal office for Social Security in Germany

Master's Thesis Topic: Social Protection and Fertility: How can social protection address the low fertility rate in Germany?

„The program helped me to gain a broader perspective on social protection and engage with students from numerous cultural and professional backgrounds. This gave me insights into many different issues regarding social protection globally and domestically, and how to address them.”

Nana Musim - 2021 Batch

Meet our Lecturers

Name: Albert Opoku Frimpong

Position: Helmholtz Schmidt Postgraduate Graduate Research Fellow

Teaching in the programme since: 2024

Course(s) in 2024/25: Statistics

Expertise: Economics with specialty in health economics, development economics, and applied econometrics

„I have had productive interactions with the Msc. Social Protection students. The students in my Statistics class actively participate in the in-class discussions. Their questions, answers, and comments do not only light up the discussions but also contribute meaningfully to the topics we discuss in class. The Statistics course is strategically designed to be relevant for social protection practices by guiding students to build a logical perspective of statistical methods applicable to empirical analysis. Students are introduced to the three types of statistical methods – estimation, hypothesis testing, and confidence intervals – which are pivotal in data analysis. This equips the students with such skills required in their academic and professional endeavours. As regards, the Msc. Social Protection programme is highly recommended to individuals seeking a successful career in social protection.”

Dr.Albert Opoku Frimpong - Lecturer Statistics