The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi (KNUST) and the University of Bonn are preparing to admit the first students to a new joint PhD programme as part of efforts to sustain research and training under the German-West African Centre for Global Health and Pandemic Prevention (G-WAC).

The two institutions have signed an initial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the programme, with preparations for its implementation at an advanced stage. The partners hope to admit the first cohort in the next academic year.

The development was discussed when a delegation from KNUST and the University of Bonn met the leadership of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) on the sidelines of the DAAD Conference 2026 in Berlin, Germany.

The meeting focused on measures to sustain G-WAC beyond its second funding phase and deepen the long-term academic and research partnership between KNUST and the University of Bonn.

The KNUST delegation was led by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Christian Agyare, and included Prof. Linda Batsa Debrah, Director of G-WAC at KNUST, and Professor Alexander Yaw Debrah, Director of the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR).

The University of Bonn was represented by Professor Achim Hoerauf, Director of the Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology (IMMIP), and Dr. Manuel Ritter, Group Leader at IMMIP. DAAD was represented by its Deputy Secretary General, Dr. Michael Harms.

Dr. Harms welcomed progress on the joint PhD programme and noted that while institutional funding could not always be guaranteed, individual PhD scholarships could provide an important avenue for supporting candidates.

The partners consequently agreed on the need for an administrative support centre to assist prospective students in preparing and submitting applications for scholarship opportunities.

The meeting also explored the introduction of German language training for KNUST students and staff as part of efforts to strengthen academic engagement with Germany.

Professor Agyare underscored the importance of the initiative in strengthening academic ties and indicated that the University would take steps to advance it in the near future.

The discussions reaffirmed the partnership among KNUST, the University of Bonn and DAAD and their commitment to developing sustainable capacity for global health research and training through G-WAC.