Cooperation Programs with Africa
The University of Bonn maintains a large number of cooperation programs with research institutes in Africa. These often intensive and long-lasting relationships are maintained by a range of institutes and departments at the University of Bonn.
Partnerships and Projects
Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya and Namibia number amongst the priority countries with which the University of Bonn maintains long-term and intensive programs of collaboration. The University plans to maintain and extend such collaborations with institutions in African countries.
Partnerships and Projects
Founded in 1948 as an affiliate of the University of London, the University of Ghana has operated independently since Ghana obtained independence in 1957. It is the country’s oldest and largest state university. As a fully-fledged classic university of the arts and sciences, the university has some 40,000 students enrolled in a wide range of degree programs. As the Ghana’s leading university (Times Higher Education Ranking 2021) and one of the top universities in Africa, it enjoys a good international reputation. The University of Bonn has a vibrant and long-standing institutional relationship with the University of Ghana in the life sciences, natural sciences and humanities, which has led to it being recognized as a special partner university.
Early 2021 saw the acquisition by the University of Bonn of two of the eight DAAD-funded “global centres” designed to address international challenges.
Ghana: The German-West African Centre for Global Health and Pandemic Prevention (G-WAC), Berlin School of Public Health (Technische Universität Berlin and Charité Berlin), the University of Bonn and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
Ivory Coast/ Kenya: African Climate and Environment Center — Future African Savannas (AFAS), University of Bonn, University Félix Houphouët-Boigny and the University of Nairobi
Press release from the University of Bonn (in German)
Official press release from the DAAD
The new CABES (Capacities on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services) project aims to strengthen the interfaces between science, policy and practice in Africa and support networking with the international activities of the World Biodiversity Council (IPBES). Another goal of the project is to train early career scientists as intermediaries.
The Collaborative Research Center “Future Rural Africa. Future-Making and Social-Ecological Transformation” is realized in cooperation with the University of Cologne. Project partners include the Bonn International Center for Conversion (BICC), the University of Münster, Charité an der Humboldt-Universität in Berlin, and of course a number of cooperation partners in Africa.
In 2021, the program Young African Mathematicians (YAM) started in cooperation of AIMS (African Institute for Mathematical Sciences), HCM (Hausdorff Center for Mathematics) and the International Office of the Universität Bonn. This program allows talented and motivated African students to experience mathematics in research groups at the highest level in an outstanding environment.
Please find further information on the YAM website.
Please also read the detailed interview with the first scholarship holder in the YAM program, Sefah Frimpong.
Joint Skills Enhancement Program
The interdisciplinary and intercultural program for master’s level students from the University of Ghana and the University of Bonn. 14 Master students in the second half of their studies study and learn together in the virtual study room in the summer semester 2024.
Review 2023
Two continents, one study room. Distance learning – how did it work? Read about the experiences of the participants and the trainers in the summer semester 2023.
Funding Opportunities
The expansion of global cooperation programs sharpens the profile of the University of Bonn and represents an important part of its Excellence Strategy. The central goals in this context are the systematic and ongoing development of strategic partnerships (e.g. Networks 4/ „Global Competence Centers“) and the targeted funding of cooperation agreements with universities in the Global South (e.g. Impact 3/ „Cooperation in the Global South“).
Funding Opportunities
- Bonn SDG Fellowship – Funding for Researchers from the Global South (from doctorate level)
- Argelander Scholarships – Individual Funding for Doctoral Students at Universities in the Global South
- “Get Finished” – Degree Completion Scholarships for Doctoral Students from Countries of the Global South Studying at the University of Bonn
The International Office and Research and Innovation Services provide a comprehensive advice service for those preparing an application.
Contact
International Office
Partnerships and International Researchers
Mira Zöller
Email: m.zoeller@uni-bonn.de
Research and Innovation Service
Research Support
Dr. Ulrike Pag
Email: pag@verwaltung.uni-bonn.de
Afrika-Netzwerk
The African Round Table was established at the University of Bonn in 2020. More than forty members meet regularly to discuss issues surrounding research conducted in and with institutions in Africa.
Researchers at the University of Bonn who would like to attend the round table can write an email to the organizer of the round table. We are happy to include you in our mailing list: Mira Zöller, m.zoeller@uni-bonn.de
Requests for the Round Table can be directed to us as well.
Voices
Why would you recommend Bonn?
“Because it is one of the top ten universities in Germany. It has students from different background and diversified origin studying and working in a friendly environment located in a small but cozy and welcoming city. it is a place where you can realize your dream of becoming a world class scientist, researcher or lecturer, if you work hard. So, it is a place for everyone with a dream, come and join.”
Prof. Dr. Tiegist Abebe, Äthiopien
Contact
Mira Christ-Zöller
2.002
Poppelsdorfer Allee 102
53115 Bonn (Germany)
Joana Bürger-John
0.003
Poppelsdorfer Allee 102
53115 Bonn (Germany)