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DFG Delegation from Sub-Saharan Africa Visits Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences

Netzwerkreffen Subsahara mit BRS Motorsport StA 20250408 Foto Martin Schulz 22

Wednesday 23 April 2025

On April 8, 2025, Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences (H-BRS) welcomed a delegation of representatives from 17 science granting councils across Sub-Saharan Africa. The visit was part of a peer learning event organised by the German Research Foundation (DFG) under the Science Granting Councils Initiative.

The guests from 17 research funding organisations from sub-Saharan Africa gained an impression of the university's projects, including the racing car construction of BRS Motorsport. Photo: MS

The delegation was introduced to the university's research management practices and explored several Africa-related research projects. Among those presented were initiatives from the International Centre for Sustainable Development (IZNE) and the Departments of Management Sciences and Computer Science, including “INTERFACES”, “Art4Dev”, „RL4Eng“ and “EnerSHelF.”

A highlight of the visit was a presentation by the Formula Student Team, featuring their G14 racing car simulator. The visit concluded with tours of the Power Electronics and Power Systems Laboratory (PEPS-Lab) and the Material Science Laboratory at the TREE Institute.

Science Granting Councils Initiative

The Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) is a programme to strengthen the institutional capacity of 17 research funding organizations in sub-Saharan Africa with the aim of better supporting research and evidence-based policy development. As part of the SGCI, the DFG and NRF South Africa are organizing a peer learning event in Bonn from 7-10 April 2025 to promote international exchange on topics such as research impact, partnerships and infrastructure.