The Vice-Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Professor Christian Agyare, and representatives of the German-West African Centre for Global Health and Pandemic Prevention (G-WAC) have met the leadership of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) to discuss sustaining the Centre beyond its second funding phase.

The meeting, held on the sidelines of the DAAD Conference 2026 in Berlin, Germany, brought together representatives of KNUST and the University of Bonn to explore long-term support for G-WAC’s research and training activities.

Discussions centred on a proposed joint PhD programme between KNUST and the University of Bonn, scholarship opportunities for prospective candidates, administrative support for applications and German language training.

The KNUST delegation, led by Professor Agyare, included Professor 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.

KNUST and the University of Bonn have signed an initial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the joint PhD programme, with preparations for implementation at an advanced stage. The partners hope to admit the first cohort in the next academic year.

Dr. Harms welcomed progress on the 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 agreed on the need for an administrative support centre to help prospective students prepare and submit scholarship applications.

The meeting also explored introducing German language training for KNUST students and staff to strengthen academic engagement with Germany.

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

The discussions reaffirmed the partners’ commitment to sustaining global health research and training through G-WAC and strengthening the long-term academic partnership between KNUST and the University of Bonn.