Social Protection (MSc)
MSc Social Protection Insights: February 2026
February 2026: Social Protection Insights
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đ˘Application Period for the Winter Semester 2026/2027 (Visa Applicants) extended until 15 February, 2026
The MSc Social Protection has extended the application period for applicants who require a visa to study in Germany. Applications via uni-assist are still open until Sunday, 15 February 2026. Applicants who do not require a visa, including students from Germany and those who already hold a valid residence permit, may continue to apply until 31 May 2026 via the universityâs online application portal Apollo.
For more information, please consult our website: Access requirements and online application Social Protection
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đ˘ DAAD Helmut-Schmidt Programme Partnership Extended Until 2032
We are pleased to announce that our partnership with the DAAD German Academic Exchange Service Helmut-Schmidt Programme (HSP) has been extended until 2032, confirming our continued participation in this internationally competitive scholarship programme.
Since 2021, the programme has offered eight to nine scholarship positions annually to highly qualified aspiring and mid-career professionals from the Global South, selected from a pool of candidates representing more than 30 countries. This highly selective process significantly strengthens academic quality and international classroom diversity. The extended partnership reinforces the programmeâs contribution to developing local policy-relevant expertise and leadership capacity, enabling graduates to return to their home countries equipped to strengthen and advance social protection systems.
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đ˘Practical Insights into Social Care Services in Germany: Students visit Caritas Bonn
On 3 February 2026, the Caritas Association in Bonn hosted our current batch as part of their Module 3.3 "Social Services", allowing them to gain practical insights into the organisationâs social service structures and delivery.
The visit began with a warm welcome by Dr. Constanze Baumgart, Head of Public Relations, and an introduction by Jean-Pierre Schneider, Director of Caritas Bonn, who provided an overview of the organisationâs mandate, mission, and key services. Discussions touched on the differences between individual Caritas associations, both within Germany and internationally, the special nature of Bonn as the former federal capital, funding principles, and the significance of advocacy.
This was followed by a visit to the Youth Centre âUns Huus!â, guided by Jan-Henrik Hartmann, Head of the Youth Centre. The session focused on youth work, participation, and inclusion, including plans to relocate and rebuild the centre to make it fully barrier-free. The excursion concluded at Prälat-Schleich-Haus, where Carolina Schrage, Head of the facility, introduced students to Caritasâs residential support services for people experiencing homelessness. Students learned about inpatient care, counselling services, and broader support structures for people in need.
Overall, the visit offered students practical exposure to integrated social care provision, complementing the theoretical foundations of the module with real-world practice. We thank Dr. Constanze Baumgart and her colleagues for organizing this day of insights and practical exposure and look forward to continuing our collaboration to strengthen social protection globally.
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đ˘Final Winter Term Modules and Semester Closing Celebration
Students just wrapped up the winter semester 2025/2026 with a block seminar in Module 3.3 âSocial Servicesâ, taught by Dr Deepta Chopra. The module covered key policy instruments in these areas, emphasizing context-specific design, gender-sensitive care, and the integration of care into social protection systems.
The previous Modules 4.3 âEvaluationâ and 4.4 âDemographyâ, taught by Prof. Dr Simona HelmsmĂźller , focused on using quantitative data and evaluation methods including survey design, regression analysis, and demographic projections, to assess program impact and inform policy decisions. Together, Modules 3 âSocial Protection Policy Instrumentsâ and 4 âQuantitative Methods in Social Protectionâ equip students with both practical and analytical skills to design, evaluate, and improve social protection policies.
On 2 February 2026, students concluded the winter semester with a small celebration attended by faculty and fellow students. Following the break, the third semester will begin online in April
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Get to Know Our Students, Lecturers & Alumni
Student Spotlight: Havva Ä°zgi
Havva Ä°zgi from TĂźrkiye (Batch 2024/25) holds a background in Psychology and brings over eight years of field experience in humanitarian aid, working with vulnerable communities. Her research interests include mental health and psycho social support, early childhood development, social protection, and health. She is also passionate about designing social policies and programs that are practical and responsive to the needs of vulnerable populations. She shares her experience with the programme as;
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Resources, Events and Publications
Events
- Register for the event âFinancing in Protracted Crises: Lessons from Education, Health, and Social Protectionâ on 25 February 2026, from 09:30 to 18:00 GMT+0.
- Join the virtual info session on 19 March 2026 to learn more about the IDOS Postgraduate Programme 62nd Cohort (PGP), with applications open until 31 March 2026.
Resources
- Read the journal article Gender-transformative social protection: returning to the feminist debates co-authored by Prof.Dr Maria Klara Kuss and Tara Patricia Cookson
- Find information on interoperability standards for ID systems and social protection systems, endorsed by USP2023 released on the Digital Convergence Initiative (DCI) GitBook.
- Read the article âMaking Global Benefits Pay: The World Bank Reform to Support Global Public Goodsâ by Jakob Schwab, Policy Brief (3/2026), Bonn: German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS).
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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
- being a #ThesisSupervisor,
- providing #Internship opportunities to our students,
- publishing a paper in our #WorkingPaper series, or
- visiting our university as a #GuestSpeaker
Your feedback and suggestions to improve the newsletter are also very welcome.
đŠ msc-socialprotection@h-brs.de
đ Master's of Science in Social Protection | Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg (H-BRS)