Delegation from the Institute of Finance Management (IFM) in Tanzania visits Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences

The visit program began with a “Meet and Greet”, which promoted personal exchange between the members of both institutions. Afterwards, Vice President Professor Teena Hassan and the IFM delegation signed an updated cooperation agreement for further collaboration.

The meeting was attended by high-ranking representatives from both institutions, including Prof. Josephat Daniel Lotto (Rector of IFM), Dr. Abeid Fransis Gaspar (Deputy Rector) and Dr. Bernard Elieza Mnzava (Head of the External Linkage Department of IFM). On the H-BRS side, Prof. Dr. Teena Chakkalayil Hassan (Vice President), Dr. Rahel Hutgens (Head of the International Office), Paulina Hinz and Sally Brammer (International Office), Prof. Dr. Simona Helmsmüller, Prof. Dr. Kerstin Rosenow-Williams and Brian Mathebula (Department of Social Policy and Social Security) as well as Dr. Oghenekome Umuerri (Department of Economics) were involved.

As part of a presentation, representatives from the Department of Social Policy and Social Security introduced their department and the M.Sc. Social Protection and B.A. Sustainable Social Policy courses and gave an overview of current cooperation projects with the IFM. The DAAD-funded project “Take-Off4Internationalization” (TOFI), which promotes the exchange of knowledge through guest lecturers and trips to the countries of partner universities, was particularly highlighted. BIDA, a blended learning course with online and face-to-face events, was also presented, in which students work online in intercultural teams and then meet their intercultural partners both in sub-Saharan Africa and in Germany.

Another item on the agenda was a review of joint events such as the alumni seminar in Dar es Salaam in August 2023 as well as the presentation of current and planned activities, including the further development of joint curricula and the integration of IFM-H-BRS alumni in teaching and research.

Finally, the participants discussed concrete next steps and prospects for closer cooperation in the coming years, for example through joint research projects, the expansion of student exchanges and further summer schools. The visit underlines the successful and forward-looking partnership between the IFM and H-BRS in the areas of social policy, social security and sustainable development.