IARD students participated in 25th anniversary of the DAAD programme “Postgraduate Courses for Professionals with Relevance to Developing Countries” in Bonn
25th Anniversary Conference and final destination of the Millennium Express
31 May – 2 June 2012 | Bonn
In May 2012 the Millennium Express reached its final destination in Bonn, where all programme participants, current and alumni alike, gathered to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the DAAD programme “Development-related Postgraduate Courses”
The “Development-related Postgraduate Courses” program for specialists and professionals from developing and transition countries was launched in 1987 with initially six course of study. Ten years after the program’s inception, the number had risen to 20. Today, this number has more than doubled, making for a total of 44 degree programs. Over the years, the program has funded approximately 6,000 young women and men.
In May the Express reached Bonn to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the DAAD programme. During the Millennium-Express, International students from more than 40 postgraduate programs throughout Germany were doing their part to make the UN’s Millennium Goals become a reality by contributing fresh new ideas, engaging in dialogue and developing projects that will make a difference. The series of talks and conferences rolled through Germany until May 2012, stopping at various universities along the way.
Prof. Dr. Stephan v. Cramon-Taubadel (University of Göttingen), Prof. Dr. José Díaz (Universidad de Talca) and the scholarship holders Evelyn Olea and Luis Terrones were also part of this celebration, representing the Master Program in International Agribusiness and Rural Development-IARD. Prof. Dr. José Díaz was one of the panelists in the Plenary Session: “Innovative Educational Formats for Cross-Border Education”.
During this three days event several conferences, interviews, plenary sessions and workshops were hold. The participants had the opportunity to interact with each other exchanging knowledge, making questions or making contacts for future projects.
The last stop from the Millennium-Express as mention before was focused on Development through Education. Many ideas around this topic were discussed, most of the audience finally agreed that what we really need to think about is how to start or keep doing education “sustainable” through every person no matter color, language, country or capacities. The second day of the anniversary conference held in Bonn was devoted to evaluating the program and considering its future.
Next you can read some of the impressions from Bonn by two scholarship holders from Göttingen, if you are interested in knowing more about this event please visit: Millenium Express:
“The conference broadened my horizons and opened my eyes to new areas. It also showed me that coupling education with intercultural experiences is the sustainable way forward. Cross-cultural education is something we all need.”
Evelyn Olea from Mexico works at the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development at the University of Göttingen.
“The DAAD and its Millennium Express makes a huge contribution to our common understanding of global problems and our ability to analyses them. It’s a truly good deed. There was such a range of professions represented at the conference – the diversity alone was impressive. I am more convinced than ever that we need to work together.”
Maria Angelica Montes Arenas from Colombia studies Tropical and International Forestry at the University of Göttingen.
