German-Arab Master’s Programmes (GAMP)
Project description
Title: Bicultural regional master’s programmes focusing on the MENA priority areas
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Country: Middle East and North Africa region, MENA
Lead executing agency: Ministries responsible for higher education in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon; via the universities involved
Overall term: 2005 to 2017
Context
Water, economic reform, renewable energies and education are the key areas of development cooperation between the German Government and the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA). However, the lack of qualified Arab experts in these sectors currently hinders the implementation of sustainable concepts. In addition, the number of German cooperation experts in these areas is limited in the MENA region. The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has commissioned GIZ and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) to develop model master’s programmes for young German and Arab professionals in these four areas.
Objective
The four bicultural regional master’s programmes are sustainably established at the participating universities and are of a high quality.
Approach
The study programmes are each offered by one German and one Arab university. Young Arab and German professionals study side by side in the MENA region and in Germany. BMZ offers scholarships for this purpose. At the end of the programme, graduates receive a double master’s degree awarded by both universities. The study programmes are practical, interdisciplinary and development-oriented. As well as fostering a high level of expertise, they promote cross-cultural and management skills.
The four study programmes are:
- Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM)
Cologne University of Applied Sciences – University of Jordan, Amman; since 2006 - Economics of the Middle East (EMEA)
Philipps-Universität Marburg – Lebanese American University in Beirut, Lebanon; since 2013 (previously Economic Change in the Arab Region (ECAR), 2008 to 2011 with Damascus University, Syria) - Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency for the Middle East and North Africa Region (REMENA)
University of Kassel – Cairo University, Egypt; since 2009 - International Education Management (INEMA)
Ludwigsburg University of Education – Helwan University, Egypt; since 2010
REMENA runs for three semesters, EMEA and IWRM both are four semester courses. The INEMA study programme lasts up to three years, including e-learning and attendance phases (blended learning), and is designed as an extra-occupational programme. Students conduct approximately half of their studies in the MENA-region. The study programmes are also available to students from other countries who are able to fund their own studies.
Results
By January 2015 around 227 participants from 19 countries had successfully completed the programmes.
Approximately 68% of the 289 scholarships granted to date have been awarded to Arab participants. Women represent 41% of participants on average. Of the approximately 1,200 applications, around 80% were from the MENA region.
At around 90%, the graduation rate is excellent and the percentage of graduates having obtained new employment twelve months after graduation is approximately 70%. The biggest number of graduates works either in the MENA-region, or at least with a strong regional focus. About one third of the alumni find employment in international organisations. The involvement of various actors (universities, government institutions, organisations from the field of international cooperation and the private sector) strengthens the practical and demand-driven nature of the study programmes.
Annual graduate surveys conducted since 2012 as well as feedback from employers, including those involved in development cooperation, confirm the high quality of the study programmes and their relevance to sustainable development in the MENA region, particularly with respect to strengthening cross-cultural dialogue with and within the Arab world.