25.04.2024

The University of Tübingen strengthens ties with the University of the Witwatersrand

Witwatersrand is Tübingen’s first strategic partner on the African continent

The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (Wits) and the University of Tübingen have established a new strategic partnership. The agreement was signed by Wits Vice-Chancellor Zeblon Vilakazi and Tübingen's President Karla Pollmann. 

President Pollmann: “Wits and the University of Tübingen have already a history of strong research collaborations in specific disciplinary areas, for example in Prehistory and Archaeological Science; Education; Global South Cultural and Literary Studies. With this strategic partnership, we aim to deepen and broaden these research collaborations as well as strengthen our institutional ties”.

An important step in this process was taken November last year, when a delegation with Vice-President Monique Scheer and seven professors visited Wits to explore fruitful areas of research cooperation in the fields of Geoscience and Environmental Research, Plant Molecular Biology, Population-based Medicine, Humanities and Business and Economics. To support the development of new research collaborations and further existing ties, Wits and Tübingen are planning to publish their first joint seed fund call this year.

Wits is Tübingen's first strategic partner on the African continent. This partnership aligns with the university’s international strategy to expand research cooperation and student mobility with African universities. The University of Tübingen supports exchange and workshops with its strategic partners through several intramural funding opportunities.

Dr. Elmar Hofman, Research Division