Some of our students from previous cohorts

Emmanuel A.

Age: 28
Nationality: Nigerian
Written and Spoken Languages: English, Yoruba

Relevant professional experience:

• 3 months experience with socialprotection.org (IPC-IG/UNDP) as a content Ambassador and coordinator for Southern Africa region.
  • Constant upload of updated content on the web page
  • Conducted research about actors, event and webinars on social protection - Coordinated the activities of the Southern Africa Ambassadors
• 1 year experience as a fund raising officer and welfare committee chairman for UNHCR pilot project, Friends of UNHCR in Ghana.
  • Advocated for the right of refugees and educated people about challenges faced by the refugees in Ghana.
  • Organised and initiated fund raising projects and programmes.

Motivation for studying in this Master’s programme:

Having understood that social protection is a fundamental human right and about 75percent of the world population is not covered by social protection, I became motivated to enrol in this program in order to learn more about social protection systems in both developed and developing countries. After graduation, I wish to work for an international organisation to advocate and research ways to enhance the sustainability of social protection systems in different parts of the world.

Research interests:

The impact of Social insurance and social assistance in developing countries and how social Assistance can mitigate shocks as regards to climate change and natural disasters.

Walther A.

Age: 25

Nationality: German

Written and Spoken Languages: German, English, Akan, French

Relevant professional experience:

• Few months experience in the foreign department of the Town Hall of Wolfsburg
  • Preparation of workshops and study programs for migrants
  • Consulting young migrants on the topic integration and education
  • Supporting vulnerable migrants in administrative or medical issues
• More than one year experience at Janssen Pharmaceuticals (pharmaceutical companies of Johnson & Johnson)
  • Preparation and conduct of staff training on medical products.
  • Participation in the companies blue ocean strategy on talent recruitment
  • Conduct of an analysis about the chances and challenges of social media in Medical Information
  • Preparation of my bachelor thesis on the topic: AIDS, from a death sentence disease to a chronic disease.
• One year experience as scientific and teaching assistant in cooperation with the Department for Natural Science at the University of Applied Science Bonn Rhein Sieg.
  • Organisational and administrative scope of duties and responsibility
  • Conduct of tutorials and other learning sessions
  • Development of digital information platforms 
  • Consultation of students

Motivation for studying in this Master’s programme:

In young age I had the opportunity to work together with migrants to advice and support them integrate into the German society and help young boys and girls to finish at least their junior high school. Afterwards during my bachelor studies (Applied Biology) i worked for a pharmaceutical company and come into contact with other topics and departments, especially Cooperate Social Responsibility. These subject areas integrated into my genome and depend on my interests and passion for social, economic and political topics. I wanted to study this course to be able to understand, debate, contemplate and design future social protection structures for the society and in cooperation with e.g. formal, informal, national, international or private actors.

Research interests:

• Role and influence of school education systems in social protection schemes.
• The role of the private sector in social protection schemes.
• The influence of natural science in the design of social protection schemes.
• Extrinsic an intrinsic forces of social protection.
• Influence of social protection on economic objectives and vice versa.
• How to integrate individual talents and skills into the labour force.

Other information:

Co-authored the book “Young impulse for the German heath system” the report on the results of the 1st legislative period of the Young Lions Health Parliament published by Janssen-Cilag GmbH, 2014.

Gifty B.

Age: 28
Nationality: Ghanaian
Written and Spoken Languages: English
First university degree obtained: B.A. Integrated Development Studies (Major: Social and Development Administration)

Relevant professional experience:

• 6 months volunteer at the National Disaster Management Organisation in Sunyani Municipality, Ghana
  • Educated communities about disaster management
  • Reported disaster occurrences to the appropriate authorities
• 1 year teaching experience during national service
  • Taught English
  • Assisted the sports department
• 6 months experience in the research field during the first degree in Gwollu in the Upper west Region of Ghana
  • Studied the social life of the community
  • Proposed place of convenience for both men and women to the district assembly.

Motivation for studying in this Master’s programme:

I enrolled in this program in order to learn more about social protection systems in both developed and developing countries. After graduation, I wish to work with any institution in the world that spearheads the promotion and sustainability of Social Protection Systems.

Research interests:

• Making pension schemes universal for old people in developing countries
• Role of child grant schemes in social protection systems

Clement E.

Age: 31
Nationality: Nigerian
Written and Spoken Languages: English, Igbo, Yoruba
First university degree obtained: B.Ed. Political Science

Relevant professional experience:

• 3 years working experience in the classroom
  • Teaching Government and Civic Education in a high school
  • Public relation officer in a high school.

Motivation for studying in this Master’s programme:

I enrolled in this program in order t learn more about social protection systems in both developed and developing countries. After graduation, I wish to work for a think thank to research ways to enhance the sustainability of social protection systems in different parts of the world particularly in my country where seventy per cent of the citizens live in abject poverty.

Research interests:

• Labour policy
• Cash transfer

Jijo K.

Age: 34
Nationality: Indian
Written and Spoken Languages: English, German (A2)
First university degree obtained: Master of Social Work

Relevant professional experience:

• 4 years of experience with the Robert Bosch,Bangalore as Team Leader
  • Employee Relations
  • Time Sheet Management
  • Project Billing
  • Training and Development
• 5 years of experience in Human resource Management and Administration
  • Human Resource Management as Generalist
  • General Administration

Motivation for studying in this Master’s programme:

With this masters programme,I am focusing mainly into the characteristics,determinants and instruments of social protection systems, covering low-,middle- as well as high income countries and how to use different analysis methods for designing and reorganizing social protection systems.

Research interests:

Not yet confirmed the area of specilisation.

Other Information:

• Ambassador of Social Protection for Eastern Europe and CIS (socialprotection.org)
• Participated in Tsunami Rehabilitation work in 2005 ,India
• Worked as student HIV/AIDS awareness coordinator for an NGO

Brian M.

Age: 30
Nationality: South African
Written and Spoken Languages: English, Xitsonga, IsiZulu, IsiXhosa, Sesotho and Northern Sotho and Afrikaans
 

Relevant professional experience:

• I worked on the development of the Informal/Second Economy Policy for the City of Johannesburg in 2011. In the last four years I worked as a Researcher focusing on the following:
  • Basic Needs Basket (BNB)
  • Social Protection and strengthened livelihood strategies
  • Decent Standard of Living
  • Qualitative research in the areas of poverty and inequality

Motivation for studying in this Master’s programme:

Social protection is a justiciable right contained in the South African Constitution of 1996, and one of the most successful developmental programs in South Africa. My interests is on expanding social protection to all vulnerable groups, including the unemployed (18-59) who are currently not covered and ‘working poor’ in my country.

Research interests:

• Linking social protection to economic strategies
• Expanding social protection to the informal economy
• National Minimum wage as a social floor
• Alternative approaches to development

Pranab M.

Age: 29
Nationality: Bangladeshi
Written and Spoken Languages: Bengali, English
First university degree obtained: B.Sc. Public Administration

Relevant professional experience:

• HR & Admin with 3 years of experience managing spectrum of human resources programs, services and functions. Strong command of employment laws, compliance issues and benefit plans.
  • - Welfare & labour service
  • - Social Compliance & CSR
  • - Handling their complaints and improving their Health,Safety & Environment. 
• 2 years experience as project coordinator for a social protection and economic development project in Bangladesh
  • Created awareness and prepare people about different natural disasters and management (Anwara Upazilla).
  • Ensured women's right to have health care & employment in project area (Patiya).
  • 30 hectors forestation in hills, rive-side and coastal areas under my supervision (Anwara Upazilla).

Motivation for studying in this Master’s programme:

I enrolled in Social Protection because I have to learn the mechanisms of social protection. Germany has a large field to understand it practically. I have interest to research on it and leading from the front. My dream come true is when I can do something for vulnerable people in different parts of the world.

Research interests:

• Role of Economic Development & Employment in social protection systems in developing countries
• Social protection mechanisms, immigration & Refugee
• Climate & Disaster Management

Other Information:

• Working as a volunteer since 2003 with Red Crescent, VBD, Bangladesh fire service and civil defence & others
• Best Young HR professional 2011, Best Employee in Navana Group 2014

Chethana M.

Age: 34
Nationality: Indian
Written and Spoken Languages: English, German, Hindi
First university degree obtained: B.Comm.

Relevant professional experience:

• 2 years experience with the Multinational Company Sungard Technologies India
  • Assisted the company in the Accounts Payable team
  • Contributed in project planning and implementation of safe work environment
  • Trained new team members
• 2 years plus experience as a Process Executive with Robert Bosch India
  • Worked as a team member with the Accounts Payable team
  • Was Involved in the Process Knowledge transfer
  • Actively participated in the team development programmes

Motivation for studying in this Master’s programme:

My motivation for this programme is to understand the social protection systems in the Developed countries and through research, identifying the sustainable implementation of such systems in the Developing Countries.

Research interests:

• Role of Social security in developing countries
• Active and Passive Labour Policies in the Developed Countries

Other Information:

• As a volunteer at the American Protestant Church, developed lesson plans for Children.
• Co-ordinated and conducted Teaching and recreational activities
• Complied with the regulations for the Child safety

Shigeaki N.

Age: 32
Nationality: Japanese
Written and Spoken Languages: Japanese, English
First university degree obtained: B.A. Political Studies in the Faculty of Law

Relevant professional experience:

7 years experience with the largest private life insurer and pension provider in Japan

• Assisted the company with medium-term strategic planning.
• Conducted research on corporate governance, corporate pension scheme, private life and health insurance products and longevity swaps.
• Managed a project which recruited young employees and made
• recommendations for new business ideas to senior executives.
• Contributed to company’s annual report for foreign investors

Motivation for studying in this Master’s programme:

I enrolled in this program in order to learn more about social protection systems in both developed and developing countries. After graduation, I wish to work for a think thank or an NGO to research and contribute to enhance the sustainability of social protection systems in different parts of the world.

Research interests:

• Sustainable social / private pension schemes for aging society.
• Social protection system for informal sector and poor.

Other Information:

Authored the article “New insurance supervision in UK” published in the Journal of Life insurance management in 2011. Received award for one of the most valuable papers of the year.

Manpreet R.

Age: 27
Nationality: Indian
Written and Spoken Languages: English, Hindi, Punjabi
First university degree obtained: BBA (Acc&Fin)

Relevant professional experience:

• 1 year experience with the Ngo named Akanksha based in Mumbai.
  • Assisted teachers to help students cope with their studies
  • Encouraging students and counselling them
  • Contributed to the overall development of the children
• 1 year experience with the NGO named Kotak education foundation based in Mumbai.
  • Promoted livelihood training of youth for their sustainability in work environment.
  • Researched the role of state-funded social protection mechanisms in lifting people from poverty in India, Mumbai
• 14 Months experience in Larsen and Toubro limited Mumbai
  • Analysed data for the future bidding purposes.
  • Proactive involvement in the project initiatives by creating appropriate leads for the future projects.
• 2 Years experience in S. Kariya Shetty & Co, Mumbai
  • Provided staff training and provided staff annual evaluations
  • Maintaining accounting Records of the clients.

Motivation for studying in this Master’s programme:

I enrolled in this program in order t learn more about social protection systems in both developed and developing countries. After graduation, I wish to work for a think thank to research ways to enhance the sustainability of social protection systems in different parts of the world.

Research interests:

• Role of private pension schemes in social protection systems in developing countries
• Social protection and human rights for immigrants in the country.
• Social protection policies regarding return to work.
• Child development

Victoria R.

Age: 24
Nationality:
Written and Spoken Languages: Spanish, English & German (B1+)
First university degree obtained: B.Sc. in Psychology
Major: Clinical Psychology

Relevant professional experience:

• 7 months experience with a civil society created to provide recreation and enforce social abilities for children with mental disabilities through swimming lessons in Valencia, Venezuela
  • Assisted the group with basic play therapy for children with Down Syndrome and Autism spectre.
  • Discussed behavioural strategies to be implemented in the pool area
• 6 months experience as a play therapist for children and adolescents in a centre aimed for low a middle income families in Valencia, Venezuela
  • Provided therapy for a period of 12 weeks and then remit case to senior Psychologist for re-evaluation

Motivation for studying in this Master’s programme:

In my city I realized how the basic preventive and promotive mental health care systems were absent. How to develop successful protection systems according to the socio economic characteristics for the population motivated me to start this Master Programme.

Research interests:

• Achieving Universal Health Care in Latin America
• Mental Health in Social Protection. How often is it included?

Abdallah S.

Age: 25
Nationality: Tanzanian
Written and Spoken Languages: English & Swahili
First university degree obtained: B.Sc. in Social Protection

Relevant professional experience:

• I worked as Assistant Financial Manager for over 3 years at KIKA Community-based Organisation in volunteer bases (Dar-es-salaam, Tanzania)
  • Organising and managing the benefits to the member and their family
  • Maintaining accurate record and preparing reports for the future use
  • Participating in training, supervision and team management meeting
• I also did my field practical in computerized record management at RITA (Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania) for 6 months
  • How to interact with co-workers, and working in proper coordination
  • Approaches of handling various cases/problems which were under the Institute.
  • How to deal with computers especially software, record management and internet-related matters

Motivation for studying in this Master’s programme:

Through this master’s programme I am expecting to understand how different social protection system performs in global level. After finishing my programme, I wish to participate on evaluating and organising proper system on social protection around the world.

Research interests:

• Universal social protection coverage system around the developing and developed countries.