20 Years of the MADM Programme

This year, the MA in Development Management Programme of the IEE is celebrating its 20th anniversary

Time really flies! Some members of the IEE team still remember the first cohort. Gabriele Bäcker recently mentioned: "I still remember the day I personally picked up the DAAD scholarship holders from Bochum main station together with Tania De Giorgio. We were so excited to meet the first students of the MADM programme. I’ll also never forget the first international Christmas Party at the IEE; and of course, the first graduation."

We are looking back at nine cohorts of the MADM programme at the Ruhr-University Bochum and the twin programme at the School of Government and the Institute for Social Development at the University of the Western Cape in Cape Town, South Africa. The IEE is proud of its 315 MADM alumni from 75 countries and their diverse careers in the broad field of development, globally.

We would have loved to celebrate the anniversary with the new cohort of MADM students and at least some Alumni face-to-face here in Bochum, but the current situation does not even allow for a "normal" welcome event with our new students. Nevertheless, we would like to use this special occasion to look back at our former students’ memories about the programme and their personal experiences afterwards. That said, we have invited our alumni to share some statements and photos with us. We really enjoyed receiving greetings and wishes from around the world. These greatly help to celebrate 20 years of the MA DM programme virtually. Here are some of them, sorted by questions we asked our alumni:

Do you remember a particular (development related) topic which was a core point of discussions during your studies?

Aby Carpio (2000-2002 cohort): "How can we ever forget 'structural adjustment' – for the term itself and the interesting discussions it generated!"

Group picture of the intake 2000-2002 at the IEE (Photo: Aby Carpio)

Cristina Gregorio (2014-2016 cohort): "During an inter-cultural training course at Möhnesee, I remember being part of a discussion among the Asian students from the Bochum cohort and some African students from the Cape Town cohort on why the economic status of the Asian region has been different from that of Sub-Saharan Africa. While the Asian students claimed their colonial history is very much in the past and took the reigns in improving their economies, some African students argued that the vestiges of colonization still lingered, if not limited, regional economic progress."

Graduation day of the Bochum group 2012-2014 (Photo: Chau Bui)

Can you share with us any experience regarding the contribution of your Master studies to your career?

Andrea Kramer (2000-2002 cohort): "Thanks to the MADM program, I gained a broad overview about many different theoretical and practical issues of development. Even without having studied each detail of the different concepts, I have felt well equipped to assess ideas, concepts and projects of a wide range of topics since starting my career in development cooperation."

Andrea Kramer and Augustine Magolowondo in front of the GIZ building in Eschborn, Germany in 2019 (Photo: Andrea Kramer)

Elleke Maliepaard (2008-2010 cohort): "If it wasn’t for the IEE/MADM, I would not have known about Development Finance Institutions (DFI) ... which seems strange, now that I have been working for one for over 10 years! That one recommendation from Prof. Löwenstein, when DEG was searching for immediate support in the development policy department, made the difference. It got me an interview and I have been working there ever since with much pleasure."

The student group of the intake 2008-2010 at the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa (Photo: Elleke Maliepaard)

Is there anything you really miss when thinking back to your study period in Germany or South Africa?

Vanessa Agnes F. Dimaano (2002-2004 cohort): "I miss my classmates and folks at the IEE, our discussions in and outside the classroom, eating together at the mensa, kinotag, trips together, and cook fests."

Vanessa Dimaano, Chau Anh Ha, Hong Hahn Bui, Ilkana Hasanova during summer school in Cape Town in 2003 (Photo: Vanessa Dimaano)

Firoj Ahmed (2010-2012 cohort): "I really miss MADM friends, overwhelming interaction with the professors during the lectures, extraordinary guidance and care of my thesis supervisor, and concerts in Germany."

Moreover, some alumni shared anniversary wishes with us:

Sanjay Gorkhali (2000-2002 cohort): "On the occasion of its 20th year celebration, I would like to congratulate IEE and the IEE family for the achievements in contributing to achievement of the global goals of sustainable development in the past two decades and wish a greater height of success in the coming years."

Chau Bui (2012-2014 cohort): "I wish I would have a chance to meet all my classmates (MADM, 2012-2014) again for a reunion. For now, I know this wish is too difficult to come true. But I do believe one day we all will see each other again. Thank you very much, IEE and DAAD, for giving me this great chance to study MADM. I will be forever grateful for that. Happy 20th year MADM!!! Keep moving forward! Much love from Bonn!"

Chau Bui, her classmates, and members of the IEE team in Berlin in 2013 (photo: Chau Bui)

Andrea Kramer (2000-2002 cohort): "Keep on offering this very special course and don’t make it bigger; the personal relationship between the relatively small number of students from all over the world is key for the joint learning experience. And if possible, keep offering the PhD program as well."

Anne Siebert, PhD
Coordinator MADM
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: +49 (0)234 / 32-22458
Fax: +49 (0)234 / 32-14294