by the MicroCapital Team - Education, Green Energy, Technology -

SPECIAL REPORT: Frankfurt School Development Finance e-Campus: A Decade of Online Education

When we were getting ready to launch our first online course, I was full of hope and optimism. But I must admit, I was rather disappointed after the launch – I had expected the initial enrollment to be higher. This was when we realised that we needed to prove that online education is just as effective as traditional classroom learning – and that it even comes with its own unique advantages.

Ten years ago, the Development Finance e-Campus of the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management consisted of just one course, Certified Expert in Microfinance. A decade later, that course has become an industry standard, and our portfolio spans 13 Certified Expert courses covering the fields of inclusive and green finance, contri­bu­ting to 14 of the UN Sustainable Devel­op­ment Goals. We also have added a full-fledged online Master Programme on Sustainable Finance as well as two Diplomas in Financial Inclusion and Green Finance, respectively. With over 8,000 alumni now covering even the most remote corners of the globe, we must have gotten something right over the past 10 years!

The Secret to Success

The secret of e-Campus’ success is the best kept one in all of Frankfurt School! But I’d like to share some of the aspects that I believe have contributed the most to our success over the last decade.

We stay true to our mission. Education is central to development, both in the sense of personal devel­opment and the wider context of community development. We have always focused our attention on underserved areas whose access to quality education is limited.

FrankfurtFrankfurt School e-Campus School’s experience in development finance and digital education has enabled us to develop high-quality course content and structures, delivering both academic and practical insights tailored to students’ needs. This has helped greatly in maintaining students’ motivation and explains our very low dropout rate – a rarity in online education.

Our dedicated team of advisors accompanies participants through every step of their journey, offering advice and support – participants never find themselves on their own while pursuing coursework at Frankfurt School.

The trust, loyalty and feedback of our participants has motivated the whole team continually. By listening to the feedback of participants, both complimentary and constructive, we have been able to mold and develop our course structure and content over time to truly meet the educational needs of our participants.

A Decade of Challenges

Of course, the past decade has not passed without challenges. We work hard to encourage students to enroll by meticulously explaining the benefits of online education, overcoming the technical challenges that come with delivering digital education worldwide and maintaining the integrity of the qualifications we provide.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the COVID-19 pandemic, which has served us with its own unique challenges. Until the start of 2020, the final examinations for our online courses were hosted in-person at our partner centers all across the world. However, after a successful trial period, our final exams now are hosted online, affording participants a fully online experience. Our sophisticated software system maintains the integrity of examinations through several layers of security measures.

The Next 10 Years

I am confident that the Development Finance e-Campus will continue on its growth path of the previous 10 years. However, the external environment in our day and age remains largely unpredictable, so it is difficult to say what might arise and how the unexpected could impact the e-Campus over the next decade.

So far, we have learned the importance of adapting quickly – not only in terms of technical improvements, but also to cope with external challenges to meet the needs of our participants. We are constantly working to improve our procedures and add new topics to our portfolio to cover new demand while ensuring high-quality standards. However, one sure thing is that we will continue to stick to our core values and provide education to those underserved areas that need it the most! As part of this work it is our goal to expand our portfolio to address the remaining UN Sustainable Development Goals that our courses currently do not cover.

Junes Arfaoui is the Programme Director of the Frankfurt School Development Finance e-Campus (FSDF e-Campus), the sponsor of this feature. Junes is celebrating his 10-year anniversary with Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, having worked with the e-Campus since its conception in 2010. He is passionate about delivering high-quality education especially to those with limited access to such resources.

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