5 Advantages of a DAAD Scholarship

Once you're actually convinced to have an advanced degree from Europe but need help in financing your studies, the German Academic Exchange Service or DAAD would be most helpful. It's easy to get tempted to get support from other seemingly more mobile (guaranteed three countries) and more generous (rumor is stipend can be as high as 2,000 EUR a month) but here's 5 reasons why DAAD is better. 

1. A DAAD scholarship is comprehensive. 

When I mean comprehensive, aside from the monthly stipend, it covers return airfare from your home country to Germany, global travel and health insurance, and at least online basic German language training. In my case, I also had classroom language training upon arrival  in Germany. 

I had to go home after the 3rd month for a family emergency and DAAD covered the airfare based on a certain ceiling amount. My program also required field work for our graduate thesis and although it did not have to be the Philippines, we were highly encouraged to go home and study development issues in our countries. That meant I was able to go home every year with DAAD funding. 

The insurance coverage of DAAD is also very comprehensive. Although it explicitly says no dental treatments, the fine print practically covers every health need. Emphasis on need. During the course of my scholarship, all my health needs in the Philippines, Switzerland, and Germany were covered by the insurance. 

2. A DAAD scholarship is generous not just financially but in terms of opportunities. 

Ok, I'd be honest, the monthly stipend is not as high as other scholarship providers but it is more than enough for living expenses in Germany. The only contribution a student pays is a small fee (about 265EUR per year) to the university that also includes a semester ticket that can be used to travel the entire "state/province" where the university is located. 

My course, MA in Development Management, was a DAAD-funded program so all my other classmates who were not DAAD scholars (we were only 10 scholars in a class of almost 30) were also funded during the events DAAD covered. We all had compulsory summer courses in Berlin (twice!) and Cape Town, and other seminars so DAAD also paid for the transport and accommodation then. Our course also required an internship (not all DAAD courses do) and upon our request, we also had transport support to move to another German city and return to our university town because everybody knows how expensive rail travel is.   

But as scholars, we were also required to attend DAAD-only events. During my time, I attended meetings in Bonn for Millennium Express, in Heidelberg for the Change Agents - The Faces of Change conference, and in Dortmund for the annual geographical meeting for scholars. 

3. DAAD has an extensive alumni network. 

I can't really say DAAD's network is better than other programs but having started in 1925 and having supported close to 51,000 foreigners, that says a lot. For more information on DAAD's support, read this tracer study. 

Beyond the classmates, I met so many students and young professionals from all those meetings and courses. My DAAD scholarship allowed me to take a course at University of Duisburg-Essen with  a lecturer from the German Development Institute so we have fostered relationships there too. Our course is also part of a consortium of postgraduate courses on Economics so we also  have a network with students from Berlin's HTU and Uni Leipzig. I can go on and on. Abroad, our bond with our twin program in Cape Town is as strong as ever. Here in the Philippines, I constantly meet former DAAD scholars, have very cordial relations with the DAAD team, and have been received well by development professionals in the German community. 

4. DAAD courses are mobile.

Some scholarship and courses are promoted and sought because of mobility. While DAAD programs and funding, I believe, are sought mostly for academic and technical reasons, it is a bit of a surprise that it actually provides a lot of mobility. In the course of more than two years, I think I moved more than 11 times. For sure I moved cities every 3 months or so. I lived in three continents (Europe, Africa, Asia) during my studies. In Europe, I lived in Bochum, Hamburg, and Geneva, then add the countless meetings and seminars, which meant we slept on a different bed for at least a night or more. 

5. DAAD can provide opportunities even after graduation. 

I'm not referring to jobs you can get by merely being a DAAD scholar or through its network or a graduate of a German university. I do not have anecdotes for that. But DAAD administers the Carlo Schmid Program (CSP) - internship placements originally intended just for Germans but now offered to non-German DAAD scholars like me under Line C. Thanks to CSP, I was assigned to the UN Joint Inspection Unit in Geneva, Switzerland for 6 months. 

So you can just imagine how full my DAAD scholarship was for more than 2 years. Of the five, I didn't even expound on the academic gains from studying in Germany but that deserves an entirely different post. I do hope this informs your scholarship selection process as this information if often vague or omitted in standard public data. 

Learning from an Expert: An Integrator

Last week, I attended a "write shop" on international coastal management (ICM). A regional expert, Dr. Chua, lead the discussion on existing ways to address the issue and how it can be improved. In the process, he said that part of the solution is having the right people aside from other aspects of an enabling environment. 

Any endeavor needs the right person - the best possible fit available. 

But there are fields that require a mixed set of skills and mindset. And in a world changing towards a direction where a broader view and understanding is required to give specific solutions, integrators come to fore. Devex published an article on the rising need for integrators in development last year. So it's not about knowing just a little of everything for a big picture but being able to stitch the different pieces together to create a whole. 

Complimenting my fondness on the usefulness of an integrator in international development, Dr. Chua mentioned one thing that struck me: to provide solutions to ICM, the persons involved must:

1. Be technical like a scientist so he understands the systematic nature of the problem and solution.

2. Work like a manager because he will coordinate with a lot of agencies and deliver solutions.

3. Speak like a diplomat because let's face it: you have to work even with your enemies (e.g. a mining company) to get the solutions that you need. 

As I sat there, I realized Dr. Chua's requirement was more than just being a mere integrator because not everyone can possess all three. I dare to say very few - that's why experts are hired! But such tall order for an even more daunting task - to save the world via coastal management.

How to get a scholarship abroad

Since I've applied countless times and have been a successful recipient of scholarships, it might be useful at least to someone how I managed to get one. To me, there are four basic steps: 1) know what you want, 2) research and selection, 3) preparation, and 4) application. Waiting is inevitable and of course, when selected, the pre-departure process is another post.

What Matters

What's your criteria for a successful life? Some measure it in monetary terms, some in prestige, some in honor and integrity, others perhaps by being of service to others. Some by raising obedient and upright children. To each his own.

Today, I listened to an elderly Spaniard who just finished a European Union project overseas as a Team Leader. Of course, to become a team leader in a specific sector and country, one must have demonstrated decades of technical and management experience. He wanted to express his availability in case a project comes up. He said he wanted to make it clear he was not retiring. 

He was so humble. He didn't even mind getting sent to Afghanistan. Anywhere, even with -35C as long as it is not Syria. He said his wife will join him anywhere as long as it is not Syria. Their kids are all grown ups so he said what matters only is his wife. And his wife loves moving around, exploring cultures, meeting people. He said it was just perfect for his job. To stress the point further, he said: 

"If the wife (relationship) is ok, the project is ok. If not, the project is not."

Simple. 

One Afternoon in March

Personal collection as usual

Sometime in March 2006, I was in Madrid on holiday. During the same trip, I made a courtesy visit to the Philippine Embassy (PE). I exchanged views with one of the of the Madrid PE staff (career minister level), which I suddenly remembered on this March winter afternoon in Hamburg.

You see, while supposedly reading up on materials on development cooperation, I found myself reading a STRAFOR article on Gaza, Catalonia, and Romantic Nationalism. Then I realized, about six years or so after I decided to skip international relations (IR) and diplomacy for development work, I inevitably find myself drawn to IR stuff (if I’m not drawn to food and travel).

While in Madrid, I told the Madrid PE staff that I wanted to be part of the Foreign Service because I really enjoyed dwelling on international affairs and at the same time, do public service. And her response? “Just stay in the family business (which is inter-regional anyway) and just read the newspaper for global affairs. Look at [President] Ramos, (he attended the World Economic Forum then), do you think he can shape or change the world? You’re better off doing what you’re doing.”

Of course I was stubborn enough to move on and find my own path. But some things will never change.

From Hamburg with Love

119 impressive pages on the political economy of the aid system of Afghanistan from 2002-2007. I've spent the past few days reading the PhD dissertation of a woman I’m becoming to admire more each day.

I'm always in awe of anyone who has nearly perfect or absolute command of a foreign language in terms of understanding, speaking, and writing. Written entirely in English, I do not have the words to express how amazed I am with her ability to communicate the difficult context of state-building in post-conflict Afghanistan interspersed with themes on good governance, democracy assistance, aid effectiveness, and the overall development cooperation climate depicting the disconnect among the donors’ domestic constituencies, the multi-layer/contractor implementing agencies, the central government, and the rural communities to which aid must reach.

It is almost like a summary of what I have been striving to do the past ten years except the regional cooperation part, which is a little bit more complicated to tie in an in-depth study such as that even if  Afghan history has largely been shaped by the powers that controlled its regional neighbors.

I’m here sitting in a warm office in Volksdorf, supposedly one of the wealthier neighborhoods of already rich Hamburg – the city with the highest per capita income and highest concentration of millionaires in Germany. Sometimes aid efforts must be ‘backstopped’ from this comfort, far away from the communities intended to benefit from the help.

Yet here I am also away from my comfort zone. Or maybe not.

Hamburg reminds me of my three favorite places: Amsterdam, Antwerp, and Stockholm. It’s culturally diverse but not as shocking to me as Rotterdam even if it has the second largest port in Europe. Hamburg has plenty of bridges, rivers, and canals. It’s also cosmopolitan and old at the same time. I saw very few people wear Jack Wolfskin jackets even if there’s a very big store near the Rathaus. Although I do not expect much from Asian restaurants, I can pretty much eat everything here.  There’s a lot of meat and a lot of seafood. (Even a store that sells dulce de leche but no alfajores.) If only there were crabs, I’d be very, very happy. But who needs to be very, very happy? Being happy alone is enough.

It’s just been almost 3 weeks since I moved here doing what I enjoy doing most – development cooperation in my favorite continent working on my region – Asia. Just what I always tell everyone: “I couldn’t ask for more.” Well, perhaps if my friends and loved ones can all be here too (even for a visit) but that is asking too much.

I was sitting in Cape Town, specifically during a class on public policy and reform management at the University of Western Cape thinking, “this scholarship was God’s way of reminding me that His plans are better than mine.” And He continues to surprise me every single day through the people He sends my way.

And for that, I am very thankful.

What's next?

From Yatzer's Timeline

Development Cooperation

UN Secretary General speaking on the Value of Partnerships to young people 

I may or may not have written it here before but as soon as I was conscious about United Nations Day celebrations in school, I knew I wanted to work for the United Nations. I was about ten years old. At the same time, I was equally smitten by food. 

Volunteering: It's More Fun in the Philippines

Here's the description of the Facebook photo album I posted a few months ago when my co-volunteers and I visited Northern Mindanao. Words are never enough to describe our affinity for that place, the bond that we have, and how we would always want to extend our lives to those who have touched ours.

 UNICEF and other organizations were supporting the community at Upper Hinaplanon.

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In 2007, ten Filipinos became Global Xchange (GX) volunteers of Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO). While half of our hearts belong to the UK, half of it strongly identify with Cagayan de Oro (CDO) and Iligan City -- both ravaged by typhoon Sendong in December 2011.

Hopes and Dreams

 Photo from the Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

When I was a Global Xchange volunteer for VSO about five years ago, we were often asked to write about our hopes and dreams. Then toward the end of our volunteer stint, our program supervisors (PS), Abi and Patrick sat each of us down, and asked us what we have done the past six months, and what we thought were our accomplishments and contributions to the team and community.

That was one of the toughest moments of my life. But volunteering was one of the best moments of my life.

It was hard to look back about our hopes and dreams, to figure out and claim aloud our inputs to the cause. But an hour or so later, we had figures and rough statistics. Community action days came to mind. Hours spent on something. Outputs and results.

Most of my teammates and I have come a long way since our volunteering days. Our PSs have much to be proud of, I think.

Yet five years on, despite what seems like an uphill trajectory for me, I still have hopes and dreams that have not materialized. My closest friends and former colleagues at work often say, "if only outsiders knew what we actually do, they wouldn't wish to work here."

Yes. A few years ago, I started working for a dream organization. That January, I was choosing between working for the United Nations or the Asian Development Bank. Then I got thisclose to working on my dream topic: development effectiveness.

Simply put, my dream career would be about making sure that development interventions and every $ spent achieved its desired development results, and has a positive impact on the community.

My most fulfilling job function ever was reviewing development results for technical assistance projects completed by the institution I worked for. The analysis was based on sector and themes, which we had to link with different fund sources as well as overall institutional strategy. It would have been more fun if we checked how aligned they were with country strategies. A bit nerdy, I know.

But these things thrill me. I was so thrilled I even wrote my thesis advisers thank you notes for enduring my stubbornness to do aid coordination and transaction costs between two multilateral funders for my master's thesis.

Yet as a I write, I've procrastinated on 4 power point presentations, with just 4 slides each, about 4 sectors (trade policy, transport, trade facilitation, and energy) for a meeting in June that I will not attend anyway. The presentation is simply about the achievements and issues on these sectors. Easy. But I have no motivation.

And I wonder why. Maybe because I do not see the results of these meetings. I participated, prepared and was privy to several meetings online and offline that came to naught simply because one country rejected the participation of another. So much for cooperation. Despite the infused billion $ and opportunities to "discuss" and "harmonize" during meetings, what outcomes have really been achieved?

I had the same impressions after volunteering in Mindanao. After the grassroots organizations got funding overseas, they would hold these training sessions, pass an attendance sheet, have the training in video. And was that it? Where's the results? How do you measure effectiveness?

This topic has always intrigued me. Although I must admit, I have never really applied for a job related to this, I hope someday, I get to work on this. Maybe through an internship while at RUB, and a proper career after. I hope this dream can come true too! Just like working for that organization, and getting a scholarship. Again.

As I procrastinated and slept today (I am recuperating from a life-threatening illness atm), I had time (I was procrastinating!) to read most of my e-mail subscriptions, and even LinkedIn. Then I saw this discussion thread on M&E for someone aspiring to be in the field and would want to know where to acquire skills. One link led to another and I came across this M&E Manual. It's like M&E for dummies. I love!

Maybe, just maybe, I can intern at InProgress next year too!  Although I would much rather be in Bonn or Frankfurt, I fell in love with Berlin the first time I went there. It was both old and new but not in a London kind of way. It was chic, cool, funky and very socially oriented. Just the right size. And has more canals than Amsterdam, and practically a direct train ride from Prague. But far from Frankfurt where my heart is.

We will see how hopes and dreams materialize. Either way, I am very thankful for every result! And I owe much to the mentors that appear when needed.

I really didn't answer all the questions above but certainly working on M&E makes me feel good. Work is at least 8 hours of my day so let me indulge. The other 8 I would rather spend sleeping, and the other 8, most of it goes to food, movies, friends, design, family, and I wish, more travel.

Philippine Elections 2010

The festive mood outside our precinct

Being in Manila for the first time during elections since I turned 18 (in 2004, I lived in Prague, and in 2007, I lived in Leeds), I've really been keen to vote this time. After all, it seems that this year, a new President would make a lot of difference, hopefully positive ones.

After queuing for almost a day just to register last year, I was in no mood to lose my chance and be disenfranchised. Last 10 May, my family leisurely went to the voting precinct past 2 in the afternoon. More than a week prior, I already noticed my name missing from COMELEC's online precinct finder. Whatever. I am gonna go and vote.

And when I got to the designated elementary school, a young PPCRV volunteer directed me to the wrong floor (for my precinct) even if I knew already based on the boards outside. She did not check my name, just my precinct # on the stub. Then turns out, my name's not on the voter's list outside the classrooms, the masterlist next to the PICOS machines, the principal's masterlist and the ppcrv computers.

As I absolutely wanted to vote, I went to COMELEC and found out they misspelled my name and placed me in a different barangay. After much checking, somebody had to write the precinct chairman in my correct barangay and precinct to allow me to vote. So despite the hassle, I happily exercised my right to suffrage. Who knows if I will still be able to vote come the next elections?

At the time of writing, Noynoy Aquino has lead the tally with former President Estrada in second place for the top post of the land. Although I did not vote for Noynoy (I voted for Gordon, whom I believe has much more to show for in terms of demonstrated capacity and political will), my vice presidential bet is leading the race despite the controversy as the Liberal bet Mar Roxas has not conceded yet. I believe in liberal ideas but in the Philippines, theory, is certainly far from practice.

It's the second time we're having an Aquino for a president. We've had a Macapagal twice as Commander in Chief too. And although Estrada might not get a second chance, his family is well in place politically. With our entertaining array of top elected senators, and with GMA, officially proclaimed as congresswoman in Pampanga, what will happen to our country? Education, governance, political will? Whatever!

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sorry for the orange text in the middle. For some reason, despite changing the color, it stays the same - orange.

Hello 2010!

The past few months have been a blur. I finally have a job at an international development organization, and the semester's almost over. I'm certainly going to miss my students and being in the classroom. Meanwhile, I spent a weekend in Cebu with my former co-volunteers and did some mangrove planting at Olango Island to boot! So here's a few snapshots from our hotel in Mactan.

Summer's almost here and it means we're getting closer and closer to election day. With El Nino and rotational powercuts around, I wonder if successful elections will merely be a dream or a reality. One thing's for sure, I haven't received my voter's I.D. (I had to transfer my registration from Prague to Manila).

2009 was a grand travel year with several local and international destinations like Budapest, Bangkok, Jakarta, Bicol and Bohol. I'm hopeful 2010 would make my passport colorful and my mileage high. Haha! But on a serious note, although I got accepted to attend graduate school at the Hague and Budapest this year, I wish more exciting things will come along professionally. There should be something to look forward to this year apart from good health for my family and friends. :)