A high-ranking delegation from the University of Freiburg led by Rector Prof. Dr. Kerstin Krieglstein visited the University of Ghana from 27-29.2.2024. In addition to the Rector, the Vice-Rector for Teaching (Prof. Dr Michael Schwarze), the current and future Vice-Rector for Internationalization and Sustainability (Prof. Dr Daniela Kleinschmit, Prof. Dr Melanie Arndt), Prof. Dr Johanna Pink (Islamic Studies), Prof. Dr Andreas Mehler (Political Science, Director of the ABI and the Africa Centre for Transregional Research) and Katharina Aly (Head of the International Office) were part of the delegation.

The warm welcome at the University of Ghana (UG) by the Head of the International Programme Office, Prof. Dr. Eric Osei-Assibey, who had been in Freiburg shortly before, and then by Vice-Chancellor Aba Appiah Amfo, Ms. Krieglstein's counterpart, were just the beginning of a very impressive introduction to this leading West African university. The Freiburg delegation's program included a visit to the Institute of African Studies founded by Kwame Nkrumah, the first head of state of independent Ghana, as well as the associated archive, a meeting with various centers working on the topic of sustainability and with representatives of the medical research centers and the university hospital.

The Freiburg team also visited the Merian Institute for Advanced Studies in Africa (MIASA), which is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, in the bungalow provided by the UG. There they spoke with directors, advisory board members and fellows. The German consortium behind the BMBF project - led by the University of Freiburg - was represented by Andreas Mehler and co-director Prof. Dr. Mamadou Diawara (Goethe University Frankfurt). The keynote speech by the Provost of the College of Humanities, Prof. Dr. Daniel Frimpong Ofori, was significant; the UG's plans to continue MIASA after the BMBF funding ends are currently being further concretized.

Cooperation in all these fields will be further intensified or explored anew. Visits to the German Embassy, the German Academic Exchange Service and the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park (and the newly inaugurated museum) completed the trip.

Universities in Baden-Württemberg need to strengthen their international orientation.

In its recommendation paper "Strengthening global partnerships at universities", the Baden-Württemberg University Network for Global Partnerships (GloPart), co-initiated by the ABI, calls for

• improved conditions, 
• financial support and 
• increased cooperation with universities in countries of the "Global South",

to promote sustainable global partnerships.

The paper is a result of the SDG Hochschultag BaWü in Freiburg 2023. You can read and download the full paper here (German PDF).

With financial support from the State Parliament of Baden-Württemberg and the State Ministry of Baden-Württemberg. The publisher is solely responsible for the content.