Since 1965 the German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) trains German and European young professionals in its Postgraduate Training Programme for Development Cooperation. On 2 September, the 49th course of the Postgraduate Training Programme has started. Since the first course almost 900 young professionals have been trained in this programme. They have helped shaping the area of development cooperation, both in senior positions and in concept development as well as consultants in change processes in partner countries.

Famous Alumni of the Training Programme are, among others, Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Ingrid Hoven, German Executive Director at the World Bank, Bruno Wenn, Chairman of the Board of Management of DEG - Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH as well as the Member of the Board of Deutsche Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Dr. Hans-Joachim Preuß.

The 49^th Postgraduate Training Programme has started with 16 participants. The 16 young professionals are from different academic disciplines such as economics, political sciences, international relations, humanities and global health sciences. The cornerstone of the training programme is the 11-weeks field research in a developing or transformations country. The three country working groups of the 49^th course will carry out their field study in Indonesia, India and Peru. On site the groups work in close cooperation with the local partner organisations. The research results will afterwards be published in a report.

Of the 400 applicants each year around 20 highly qualified academics are selected. The Institute’s Training Programme is concentrated on courses dedicated to development-related themes and issues bound up with shaping the process of globalisation as well as with improving trainee communicative and social skills. The Programme serves to provide trainees with an opportunity to gain practical experience with what they have learned by participating in concrete consulting-oriented research projects. Once they have completed the Training Programme, the graduates find career opportunities with development organisations at home and abroad.