KNUST-TUM Partnership for Innovation and Sustainable Development
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana is one of the leading universities of the African continent. After a long-time cooperation in the future-oriented areas of water and energy research, environment, mobility and global health, KNUST and Technical University of Munich (TUM) entered a sustainable and strategic partnership at the end of 2018.
Partnership highlights
Erasmus+ funding for exchanges with Ghana
Student and staff mobilities between KNUST and TUM have been funded every year since 2016 thanks to the “international dimension” of Erasmus+. Further information on the mobility calls at TUM are available on the TUM IC website for teaching opportunities outside of Europe and continued education and training worldwide with Erasmus+.
Signing the strategic partnership
In October 2018, a delegation led by Prof. Juliane Winkelmann, TUM Vice President for International Alliances and Alumni, launched the strategic partnership for innovation sustainable development in Kumasi. The letter of intent institutionalizes and expands the previous collaboration between the two universities.
TUM Global Incentive Fund
As a next step for further development and strengthening of departmental collaborations, proposals for joint projects have been accepted for the TUM Global Incentive Fund call since the beginning of 2019.
KNUST delegation in Munich
Between March 18 and 22, a four-member delegation led by Prof. Rexford Assasie Oppong, Dean International Programmes Office, visited TUM to further advance the strategic KNUST-TUM partnership.
KNUST and TUM support existing and new project ideas within a common action framework comprising the key areas of teaching, research and entrepreneurship.These existing collaborations as well as future projects, for example in the field of Architecture with Prof. Francis Kéré, will advance this partnership. In the long term, this partnership will contribute to a deeper understanding of global challenges and to developing technical and scientific solutions using entrepreneurial approaches.
Selection of joint projects of TUM and KNUST
aCar Mobility
The concept of the electric utility vehicle aCar sustainably addresses the needs of the Sub-Saharan African population by bringing mobility to people in isolated rural regions, and improving their access to health care, information and education facilities. The project is funded by the Bavarian Research Foundation (BFS).
Clinic partnerships
The university hospital rechts der Isar in Munich and the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital have been in a partnership with funding provided by BMZ and Else-Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung since 2017. Both university hospitals cooperate on a broad spectrum to ensure sustainable innovation in both research and patient care.
ADLAND
In the ADLAND consortium, scientists are working on the conceptualization and practical implementation of responsible and intelligent land management in Africa. This scientific initiative by the Chair of Land Management and Land Tenure was implemented with funding from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
Design Thinking
Within the scope of joint cooperation, the Chair of Information Systems at TUM and the KNUST School of Business conducted a workshop in Kumasi in the context of cross-cultural challenges in entrepreneurship and innovation. Students engaged locally in interviews and prototype testing to gain valuable insights for targeted product development.