Paper short abstract:

By setting up a cooperative Master program on International Cooperation involving African and German scholars and students accompanied by research, HS Kehl and universities in Ethiopia, Senegal and South Africa promote Africa-based research on designing African-European and intra-African relations.

Paper long abstract:

In 2021, Hochschule Kehl launched the Master program “Public Management in International Cooperation”. Its content and operation were and are jointly developed and organized by Ethiopian, Senegalese, South African and German universities, with attendance phases in all four states. It aims at qualifying African and European students to better understand African-European and Intra-African cooperation projects to be enabled to better design, implement and manage such projects. Joint co-teaching teams from African and European universities open new cross- and trans-continental perspectives on topics, problems, and solutions. Mixed African-European multi-national student groups foster cross-national learning experiences, enhancing intercultural competencies. After an initial phase, where only Hochschule Kehl awards degrees, co-graduation from all partner universities in Africa and Europe is intended.

Underlying to the Master program is a university cooperation to build new equitable research partnerships between European and African and between African universities. Unlike traditional approaches with a European university leading, this cooperation follows a cooperative approach, giving African and European scholars equitable access to design, develop and implement research projects. Jointly designed and organized conferences will accompany the Master program. Results presented therein will be published and used to further develop the program. Expected impacts of this cooperation are enhanced visibility for African universities’ and scholars’ research, better recognition of African-driven research in European debates, a shift of research topic priorities toward African needs defined from an African perspective, a reduction of Euro-centricism in science and thus an advancement of science as a whole.