Since its foundation, the University of Oldenburg has been committed to social justice and environmental sustainability, including on a global scale. In line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the university builds on reliable, long-term partnerships. These partnerships encompass collaborations and exchange programmes with African institutions, covering areas such as (higher) education, research, continuing professional development, management and transdisciplinary engagement. The focus of the work to date has been diverse and includes educational research and management, gender studies, computer science, climate adaptation and land-use management, marine and coastal research, and renewable energy.

The University of Oldenburg’s strategic engagement with partners from Africa (and the Global South as a whole) underlines its comprehensive commitment and far-reaching dedication to effective South-South and North-South cooperation. Through joint efforts, the international excellence and global relevance of all partners are strengthened, thereby fostering a mutually beneficial relationship.

Since the 1990s, the University of Oldenburg has maintained close-knit partnerships with numerous African institutions, based on mutual respect and founded on shared values and intensive academic exchange. This approach not only fosters trust and mutual learning, but also enables the joint creation of knowledge and innovation. Together with our partners, we share responsibility for processes of transformation and work together to develop solutions to global challenges.

With the support of funding programmes from the DAAD, the EU, the DFG, various federal ministries and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Lower Saxony, numerous projects have been successfully implemented with partner institutions.