Delegation from HSWT, USSEIN and Universitè de Gabès takes part in the "Cooperation Lounge Africa-Bavaria" (BayFOR) event
On 10 July 2020, a five-member delegation from the University of Applied Sciences Weihenstephan-Triesdorf (HSWT), the Université du Sine Saloum El-Hâdj Ibrahima NIASS (USSEIN) and the Université de Gabès took part in the event "Cooperation Lounge Africa-Bavaria: Rethinking Collaboration in Research and Innovation". The event was organised by the Scientific Coordination Office Bavaria-Africa (WKS) of the Bavarian Research Alliance (BayFOR) by Melanie Schulte and Dr Sabrina Maurus.
The event discussed the opportunities and challenges of equal cooperation in the field of R&I between African countries and Bavaria, current trends and future prospects for R&I projects with African countries and Bavaria as well as best-practice examples of successful R&I projects.
President of USSEIN, Prof. Dr Ndèye Coumba Touré Kane and Vice President for International Affairs and Diversity at HSWT, Prof. Dr habil. Carsten Lorz took part in a panel discussion on the topic "How equal are African-Bavarian research and innovation (R&I) collaborations really? There was also a panel discussion on the topic "From theory to practice: How to implement equitable and successful projects with African and Bavarian partners in R&I?".
In poster sessions, project coordinator Dr Ilaria Tedesco and Eva Zech presented the Green Futures (funded by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture) and FAMFISK (funded by the Bavarian State Chancellery) projects.
The key findings of the conference were that the reduction of administrative and bureaucratic hurdles, the establishment of solid and long-term partnerships and the greater involvement of the African diaspora are seen as urgent measures.
The event provided a valuable platform for discussing new scenarios for promoting cooperation between Bavarian and African universities. The dialogue on these topics is to be continued at a DAAD conference in Brussels at the end of the year.
