Social Protection (M.Sc.)
MSc Social Protection Insights: June
June 2024: Social Protection Insights
📢 Applications for 2024 Intake Are Closed
The application period for Winter 2024 has officially closed. We have been overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and interest shown by candidates from all around the world. Over the past few months we have received a remarkable number of applications. Each submission reflects a unique story, background, and ambition, showcasing the incredible diversity and talent that we are proud to attract. We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who took the time to apply. Your efforts and interest do not go unnoticed.
What’s Next?
Now that the application window is closed, our admissions team will continue the careful and thorough review process. Those who applied at the beginning of the application period have already received their offers of acceptance or rejection letters.
Those who submitted their applications closer to the deadline can expect to hear back from us this month. We appreciate your patience as we go through this process. We know how much effort you have put into your applications, and we are committed to giving each one the attention it deserves. Keep an eye on your email/Apollo for updates from us regarding the status of your application.
Stay Connected
While you wait, we encourage you to stay connected with us through our social media channels, our website and the newsletter. We will be sharing insights, stories from our current students, lecturers and alumni, and updates on upcoming events and opportunities.
Missed the Deadline?
If you missed the application deadline for Intake 2024, don’t worry. We will soon announce the application dates for winter 2025. In the meantime, you can prepare by gathering your materials and strengthening your application profile.
Thank you once again for your interest and for making the effort to apply. We are excited about the potential of our next cohort and look forward to what the future holds. Together, we are shaping a community of social protection experts, innovators, and change-makers.
📢 Applications for DAAD Helmut-Schmidt Scholarship are Now Open (2025 Intake!)
The fully-funded DAAD Helmut-Schmidt Scholarship aims to support future leaders in politics, law, economics, and administration who aspire to contribute to the social and economic development of low- and middle-income countries.
Key Details:
- Application Period: June 1, 2024, to July 31, 2024
- Eligibility Criteria: Applicants must be a citizen of a DAC country, hold a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, have at least 5 months of relevant practical experience in social protection, be proficient in English (minimum level C1), and pass the entry exam (research proposal)
- Scholarship Benefits: Monthly stipend of 934€, additional allowances for spouses and children, tuition coverage for a 4-month mandatory German language course
Application Process:
- Online Application: Fill out the online application form between June 1 and July 31, 2024 & carefully check which application documents are required.
- Interview: Short-listed candidates will be invited for an online interview by the end of November.
- Final Selection: Only 9 scholarships are available. Applicants who do not make the shortlist are encouraged to re-apply as regular students later in the year.
Important Notes:
- The application this year is for a start NEXT YEAR (in 2025)!
- Incomplete applications will be automatically rejected.
- All documents must be submitted through the application portal; email submissions are not accepted.
- This scholarship is exclusively for the master’s programme in "Social Protection", not any other study programme at the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences.
For more details and to access the application forms, visit the DAAD website: Helmut-Schmidt-Programme (Public Policy and Good Governance, PPGG)
Module 9.1: Research Methods // Prof. Dr. Simona Helmsmüller
The summer semester continued in May with a short but intensive training in research methods. In Module 9.1 , students focus on sharpening their research skills to eventually prepare themselves for research papers throughout the remainder of the master’s programme, their master’s thesis as well as potentially for a PhD later on. They systematically
- Get to know the different steps in the research process as well as the logic of how to interconnect them;
- Gain understanding of how to formulate a research question, and how to choose a research design and the appropriate methodology;
- Obtain a detailed overview and learn how to use different quantitative and qualitative research methods;
- Critically assess the methodology of other studies; and
- Learn how to present your research ideas and first results, and incorporate feedback.
The associated module 9.2 then consists of a colloquium accompanying the Master's thesis.
Module 6: Groups in Focus (Electives)
After the blocked Research Methods course, our current students have the opportunity to specialize in two out of four groups in focus in the coming three weeks. In Module 6, they will analyse the characteristics, needs and specific risks of different groups in society, learn about suitable social protection instruments and policies, and examine how instruments have to be best combined and designed to meet the needs of these groups.
The electives offered this year are:
M6.1 Children/Youth // Prof. Dr. Kerstin Rosenow-Williams
- Students will learn the basics of child protection and child-sensitive social protection before discussing about special needs and risks of children and the impact of social protection on child protection outcomes.
M6.3 Migrants // Prof. Dr. Michael Sauer
- Using a simulation game on sustainable labour migration, students will engage with the migration-development nexus, learn about the needs of countries of destination and origin, migrant worker's rights and portability of benefits.
M6.5 Family // Sebrina Brown (alumna)
- This course mainly deals with the special needs and risks of all family members, the design of gender-sensitive social protection benefits and services, and the protection of primary care providers.
M6.6 Working Population // Prof. Dr. Krzysztof Hagemejer
- Module 6.6 explores social risk and contingencies faced by the working population and resulting insurance and protection needs. It deals with people with different employment status, in formal and informal employment, different (social) insurances, health protection and prevention and protection in case of employment accidents and occupational disease.
After a preliminary survey, the electives M6.2 Older Persons and M6.4 People with Disabilities were not offered this year. While the electives offer an opportunity to specialize on a certain target group, they do not narrow down the topic for the Master's thesis or potential internship placements in any way. Nevertheless, they can provide a guideline and serve to build a profile.
Get to Know Our Students, Lecturers & Alumni
Student of the Month
Name: Madison Bassow
Batch: 2022
Country of Origin: USA
Social Protection Experience: Program Advisor for federally funded educational support program "Upward Bound," a program devoted to providing preparation and equal access to higher education for low-income, first generation students.
Internship: Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Intern @ UNDSS
Research Interests: Social Security, Human Rights, Feminist Theory
Madison has been supporting our program as a student research assistant since January 2023!
„I have loved being in a classroom with my colleagues from 17+ different countries, who all bring diverse experiences in social protection. This setting offers so many opportunities to challenge oneself and to be validated that there are folks all over the world who value the human right of social protection. Our professors all valued our perspective and input, allowing us to share our real-world experiences from the field. We are connecting with experts in a diverse range of fields who are enthusiastic to connect us with networks for research and career prospects.”
Madison Bassow - 2022/23 Batch
Alumni Spotlight
Name: Luiza Valle
Batch: 2021
Country of Origin: Brazil
Current Role: Consultant Social Protection Statistics @ ILO Social Protection
Master's Thesis Topic: Expansion of social protection effective coverage and enabling financing mechanisms in Cape Verde: recent developments
Previous Social Protection Experience: Project Manager for the Undersecretary of Health Surveillance Governo do Estado de Minas Gerais & Negotiator with international pharmaceutical industries for technology transfer of Covid-19 vaccine with Funed - Fundação Ezequiel Dias
„As a DAAD scholarship recipient, the scholarship represents a vote of confidence for those who want to contribute to the development path of their home country. This opportunity enabled me to focus on my studies and dedicate myself to the curriculum.”
Luiza Valle - 2021/22 Batch
Meet our Lecturers
Name: Prof. Dr. Michael Sauer
Position: Professor at Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences
Teaching in the programme since: 2023
Course(s) in 2023/24: M6.3 Migrants
Expertise: Migration policy, comparative welfare state research, transformation of social systems, potential-oriented design of migration policy, shortage of skilled workers
Just last week, Prof. Sauer was elected as the Vice Dean of our Department of Social Policy and Social Security Studies. Previously, he was co-heading the Bachelor's programme in Sustainable Social Policy, a position that he has passed on to Prof. Dr. Kerstin Rosenow-Williams.
Resources, Events and Publications
Events
- SAVE THE DATE: Brown Bag Lunch "Report on Humanitarian Work" with Damla Çalık (Batch 2022, Community Center Advisor Deutsches Rotes Kreuz) on June 27 from 12:45 - 13:30. More information on our website: Invitation.
- Previous student and lecturer of the Short Course Disability Alex Cote is moderating a session on Social protection and Inclusive Care and support systems strengthening on June 6 at 14:00 CEST/GMT+1.
Resources
- For those who are interested in the basic income grant debate, we recommend to check out the latest International Social Security Review: Volume 77, Issue 1-2. Our honorary professor Krzysztof Hagemejer is part of the editorial board.
- Sticking with social insurance and the elective topic of working population, Laura Alfers and Florian Juergens-Grant have shared a Spotlight on Social Insurance: Building Fairer, More Inclusive Social Protection Systems for All Workers with socialprotection.org.
- Our lecturer Gabriele Köhler has published a Working Paper with UNRISD on Contestation Movements and the Emergence of Eco-Social Contracts in India and Nepal with Alina Saba.
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.
📩 msc-socialprotection@h-brs.de
🌐 Master's of Science in Social Protection | Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg (H-BRS)