Congolese-German Centre for Microfinance
As part of a the new Centers of Excellence programme sponsored by the German Academic Exchange Services (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienste – DAAD), Frankfurt School of Finance & Management is expanding its cooperation with the the Université Protestante au Congo (UPC) in Kinshasa to set up the Congolese German Centre for Microfinance.
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In cooperation with:
| Over the past five years, Frankfurt School collaborated with the Faculty of Economics and Administration at UPC by providing assistance in the form of expertise, personnel and administrative capacity to:
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To date, the bilateral cooperation between Frankfurt School and UPC, which received financial assistance from the Church Development service (Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst – EED) from 2002 to 2007, has been very fruitful in promoting research and teaching as well as strengthening UPC’s relations to industry partners.
| The new Congolese-German Centre for Microfinance will build on this relationship to promote teaching and research to train future leaders in microfinance in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and beyond. The specific focus areas of the Centre will be the:
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UPC has been a pioneer in Congolese higher education since 1959. Over 5300 students (half female) were enrolled for the 2006-07 academic year. Although founded by various Protestant denominations, student population is diverse. Approximately 180 full-time and part-time Congolese faculty (mostly graduates from European and US universities) work at UPC.
About Frankfurt School’s ongoing cooperation with UPC:
Frankfurt School has been cooperating with one full-time faculty at UPC, Prof Youssoufou Congo, chair of ‘microfinance’. Overall, 811 students were enrolled in microfinance courses and UPC hosted 10 conferences on the topic over the course of five years. Publications include: Congo, Y. (2007): “Assessing the efficiency of urban microfinance institutions: an analysis in light of Congolese experience”, UPC; Congo, Y. (2006): “Measuring the impact of microfinance initiatives on female poverty levels in the Democratic Republic of Congo”, UPC. Copies of publications and conference proceedings are available on request.
Frankfurt School / UPC Cooperation to date:
| Student enrolment | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | Total |
| Students who have taken a microfinance course | 172 | 168 | 148 | 152 | 171 | 811 |
| Students who have opted for a microfinance certificate | 15 | 35 | 45 | 50 | 46 | 191 |
| Conferences organised | - | 3 | 6 | 1 | - | 10 |
