Since 1999, BIGS-DR has educated hundreds of decision-makers for an international career in a development-oriented context. Many of the nearly 500 BIGS-DR Alumni work in research institutes, universities, government agencies, or NGOs. All of them are doing amazing work all over the world in the field of sustainable development. Approximately three-quarters of our graduates from the Global South returned to take up positions in the Global South in research, teaching, and governance. About 10 percent of our alumni found professional jobs in international organizations such as the World Bank or the United Nations, while the rest found positions in a development-related context in Germany and other OECD countries. Many of our alumni are still in close touch with ZEF, e.g. for joint research projects.
On this page, some of our alumni share their telling stories.
- Combining excellence with practicality: Denise Margeret Mathias
Winning awards means my efforts in using science to help civil society and local communities are recognized. Fact sheet Denise Margaret Mathias comes from the PhilippinesPhD at… Read more: Combining excellence with practicality: Denise Margeret Mathias - Very first batch (1999): Abay Getahun Asfaw
“I was impressed by ZEF’s focus on issues that are very crucial to developing countries”. Abay Asfaw’s master’s and PhD research on health issues in his home… Read more: Very first batch (1999): Abay Getahun Asfaw - Juggling academic disciplines: Rabia Chaudhry
“Effective and implementable research needs to be interdisciplinary in nature”. Rabia worked as a lawyer before she came to ZEF for pursuing her PhD. After finishing her… Read more: Juggling academic disciplines: Rabia Chaudhry - Pioneering water resources research in Afghanistan: Fazlullah Akhtar
“I was the first Afghan doctoral graduate at ZEF”. Prior to his PhD research on water issues in Afghanistan, Fazlullah worked for international agencies such as UN.… Read more: Pioneering water resources research in Afghanistan: Fazlullah Akhtar - Very first batch (1999): Shyamal Chowdhury
“I am proud of the contributions I have been making to research and concrete policies” Shyamal conducted his PhD on Information and Communication Technologies in rural Bangladesh… Read more: Very first batch (1999): Shyamal Chowdhury - On the fast lane: Hart Nadav Feuer
“ZEF has truly set me up for an interdisciplinary research career and expanded my networks” Hart Feuer’s research interest in South East Asia has taken him, after… Read more: On the fast lane: Hart Nadav Feuer - Entomologist by passion: Marwa Shumo
“I hope that more women, especially from the Global South, will be able to follow their passion”. Marwa’s passion for the entomology, i.e. her PhD research on… Read more: Entomologist by passion: Marwa Shumo - Lady in REDD: Tania Osejo Carrillo
“I wanted to contribute to strengthening the legal environmental framework in my home country Nicaragua”. Tanja Osejo Carrillo finished her PhD at ZEF in 2015 in the… Read more: Lady in REDD: Tania Osejo Carrillo - Very first batch (1999): Roukayatou Zimmermann
“The emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration fostered at ZEF has equipped me with the ability to integrate diverse perspectives and methodologies into my work, facilitating innovative problem-solving during… Read more: Very first batch (1999): Roukayatou Zimmermann - Research with real-life impact: Faisal Abbas
“I learned at ZEF that doing scientific research should aim at having an impact on real life and bring something for the people of this world”. After… Read more: Research with real-life impact: Faisal Abbas - Focusing on gender issues: Dennis Avilés Irahola
“My doctoral education at ZEF provided me with an international profile and sharpened my analytical abilities in development issues”. Before she embarked on her PhD research at… Read more: Focusing on gender issues: Dennis Avilés Irahola - Strengthening Africa’s academic capacity: Emmanuel Derbile
“When it comes to promoting internationalization, the ZEF-led West African Center for Sustainable Rural Transformation (WAC-SRT) has been at the forefront in Ghana’s universities”. Though Emmanuel K.… Read more: Strengthening Africa’s academic capacity: Emmanuel Derbile - Addressing environmental challenges: Asghar Tahmasebi
“My best memory of ZEF is the day I defended my PhD thesis and graduated in 2012. It was a very special and rewarding moment for me,… Read more: Addressing environmental challenges: Asghar Tahmasebi