"Medicine & Health 2008"

First Mission Abroad
Advanced Training
Ethnology
Special Topics and Health

Development cooperation

The term development cooperation summarises the common goal of industrialised rich countries to combat poverty in developing countries aiming at their integration into the world economy. Therefore development cooperation can also be seen as stabilising political factor.

This main chapter deals with development cooperation, a social and moral duty of wealthy industrialised countries towards developing countries. In the media, development cooperation is a less glamorous kind of help compared to humanitarian aid and it has therefore gotten far less attention and financial support. Sustainability is an essential issue in development cooperation as well as in humanitarian aid: the goal must therefore be to convert successful short term projects into long lasting and sustainable programs. To make this happen one needs to train and involve the local workforce. Hence it is substantial to be aware and respect social structures and local customs. This needs not only work experience and specialised knowledge but a focused training in the field of development cooperation on top of the above.

To stress the importance of ethno-social understanding as pre-requirement for successful development cooperation, this year’s course catalogue introduces the new section of "Ethnology", where courses, master programmes and congresses in the fields of ethnology, anthropology and social sciences are summarised.

Courses listed in the section "First Mission Abroad" convey basic knowledge for all those interested in a first mission in the field of development cooperation.

"Advanced Training" compiles courses for those who already have work experience in the field of development cooperation.

In the section about "Special Topics" courses and events relating to special fields like health, development politics, human rights and peace finding as well as peace keeping were listed.