MSc Social Protection Insights: November

Module 2: Foundational Skills

Our students have just started their second module on Foundational Skills. In the following four sub-modules, they will be equipped with essential skills to master this study programme and their future jobs:

M2.1 Economics of Social Protection: taught by Prof Dr. Krzysztof Hagemejer

• This course deals with determinants of the demand and supply of labour, decision making in the conditions of uncertainty and imperfect information , market failures, asymmetric information, public goods and common resources and social protection as well as the economic impact of social protection interventions.

M2.2 Statistics: taught by Stephen Elvis Ampah

• In this technical course, students tie in with what they have learned during the pre-course in Statitics. They are introduced to survey methodology (e.g. datasets, data confidentiality and ethics) and inference statistics (e.g. sampling, mean, standard errors, hypothesis tests and p-values).

M2.3 Demography: taught by our professor for medical informatics Prof. Dr. Johannes Mockenhaupt

• The concepts of fertility, mortality, measuring migration and impacts on demographic developments, demographic transition and ageing populations as well as demographic projections are covered in this course to enable students to make sustainable and effective decisions about the design of social protection programmes and strategies.

M2.4 Poverty and Risk Assessment: taught by our honorary professor and practicioner at German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) Markus Loewe & guest professor Dr Masauso Chirwa

• This course covers the intertwined concepts of poverty, vulnerability, inequality and risk. Students learn about the different measures of poverty and inequality in a theoretical and technical way, and how to distinguish the key terms risk, shock, hazard, vulnerability and resilience. Finally, students should be able to assess when and why social protection is needed.

In Module 2, students are familiarised with the main micro- and macro-economic determinants and implications of social protection schemes and systems. In addition, you will get to know the basics of survey methodology and inferential statistics, which serve as a basis for the subsequent analyses carried out in the following modules in the master’s programme. In order to understand the (changing) needs for social protection, the courses on demography, poverty and risk assessment lay a foundation to be able to design but also evaluate the effects of social protection schemes, which are not only influenced but also impact demography, poverty, inequality and the risk exposure of a country.

Get to Know Our Students, Lecturers & Alumni

Students of the Month

Name: Damla Çalık

Batch: 2022/23

Country of Origin: Türkiye

Social Protection Experience:  My engagement with social protection began during my undergraduate studies, where I actively contributed to various International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs) in Türkiye, focusing on supporting migrants, refugees, the LGBQI+ community, and youth. Over the course of five years, I undertook significant responsibilities at the Turkish Red Crescent within the Community Center project. During this time, I worked across diverse programmatic settings including protection, psychosocial support and livelihood to provide essential support to vulnerable populations, primarily of Syrian origin, but also from various other countries of origin.

At present, I am based in Kyiv, Ukraine, working as an Advisor at the German Red Cross. My role is to leverage the expertise gained from my work experiences at the Turkish Red Crescent, particularly in the establishment and operation of Community Centers, to collaborate with the Ukrainian Red Cross. Together, we aim to provide vital support to the affected population, drawing on the lessons and experiences accumulated during my time at the Turkish Red Crescent.

Research Interests:  My primary research interests lie in the field of migration and refugee studies, with a specific emphasis on child protection and gender dynamics.

Alumni Spotlight

Name: Luisa Carmona

Batch: 2016

Country of Origin: Colombia

Current Role: Legal Officer - International Labour Organization (ILO)

Master's Thesis Topic: Legal framework and effective coverage of disability pensions in Colombia

Internship: International Social Security Association (ISSA) - Social Security Development Branch

Meet our Lecturers

A warm welcome to our new guest professor Mr Masauso Chirwa who will join us for the academic year of 2023/2024. He will be taking over many of the courses of Prof. Dr. Esther Schüring (on leave). We are very happy to have you on the team and mutually benefit from each other's experiences. 

Name: Masauso Chirwa PhD

Position: Guest professor for International Social Protection Systems

Teaching since: 2011 (joined H-BRS in 2023)

Course(s) in 2023/24: M1.2 Social Protection Systems: Driving Factors; M2.4 Poverty and Risk Assessment; M3.2 Social Transfers

Country of Origin: Zambia

Expertise: Migration, Disability, Child Protection, Cash Transfers

Resources and Publications 

• "Gender-transformative social protection in crisis contexts: guidance note" was recently published by STAAR Facility, and commissioned by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.

• SocialProtection.org is now publishing a quarterly digest, check out the first edition HERE!

• Amirhosein Rahbari of batch 2020 provided SocialProtection.org with an overview of our alumni event in Tanzania. Check it out here: Sessions on Exploring Social Protection Solutions in Sub-Saharan Africa and Tanzania