Strengthening cooperation with research institutes in Ghana

Why did you travel to Ghana?

Together with representatives from various research institutions in Ghana, we explored collaborations in the field of biodiversity research: with the Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, the University of Ghana in Accra and the University of Cape Coast. We presented our research in workshops and jointly discussed which field research projects are feasible in the various rainforest systems. This strategic partnership is not only aimed at exchanging scientific findings, but also at knowledge transfer and capacity building.

How was the delegation organized?

My colleagues Dagmara Zyla and Karina Brandao from Entomology took part in the trip from the LIB. Researchers from the University of Trier and the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus also took part. The aim is to work together in the field of arthropods, particularly at a practical level, which includes topics such as food security and climate change.

To what extent is the link between Ghana and Hamburg important?

We need certain framework conditions to be able to work in Africa. We have these in Ghana, a well-established democracy. There is also an old treaty between the Republic of Ghana and the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg that supports our work. The African Regional Postgraduate Program in Insect Science is another building block. Hamburg and Ghana are important partners in climate and infection research. There are already various initiatives and institutes in Hamburg, such as the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, which have been working with institutes in Ghana for a very long time. Recently, the 2nd Mayor of Hamburg, Katharina Fegebank, also traveled to Ghana with a delegation.

What happens next?

We would like to invite the colleagues from Ghana that we met on the trip to join us here in Hamburg. Together we can work out how we can make further progress in the areas of teaching and research as well as in institutional cooperation, i.e. in strategic partnerships between universities and research institutes. One long-term goal would be to jointly establish a competence center for biodiversity research in Africa.