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"Education is the prerequisite for development and universities are the primary schools of globalisation. This is why we promote research for development and the scientific networking of universities in developing countries and industrialised nations. They are to join forces as excellence centres for promoting the Millennium Development Goals", explains the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Ms. Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul. DAAD Secretary General, Dr. Christian Bode, adds: "These excellence centres will provide a forum for German scientists and students to cooperate at eye level with their partners in developing countries within the scope of joint lecturing and research activities so as to deal with the pressing challenges of the future. We are convinced this will sustainably strengthen university structures in the developing countries and likewise reinforce the importance of development cooperation in German universities.”

The award-winning university projects will focus on topics covered by the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations. The selected universities have managed to bundle all aspects of their existing commitment to development cooperation into outstandingly conceived programmes. Shoulder to shoulder with their partners, they address development issues imaginatively and resourcefully. The universities cooperate with each other in a partnership network and hence help strengthen the partner universities and facilitate their integration into the international scientific community. Together with their partners, they will set up a think tank for the purpose of disseminating development-related expertise in the developing countries and Germany.

In this vein, the project topic of the Technical University of Braunschweig is “Excellence through Dialogue – Sustainable Water Management in Developing Countries”, the University of Hohenheim will set up a “Food Security Center”, the University of Kassel will establish an “International Center for Development and Decent Work”, the Cologne University of Applied Sciences will found a “Centre for Natural Resources and Development”, and the Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich will create the “LMU Center for International Health”.

“Excellence is to be found in many varied forms and can also make its mark in development cooperation and in dealing with development policy issues”, of this Dr. Bode and Ms. Wieczorek-Zeul are firmly agreed. “The initiative is also intended to showcase the excellence of the universities in dealing with these issues. This will serve to sustainably strengthen their function as an innovations think tank.”

The five award-winners and their respective university partners are:

University: Technical University of Braunschweig
Partner Universities: Water Resources University, Hanoi, Vietnam
Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico
Mutha University, Jordan

University: University of Hohenheim
Partner Universities: Sokoine University of Agriculture and Technology, Tanzania
Universidad de Costa Rica
Katsetart University, Bangkok, Thailand

University: University of Kassel
Partner Universities: Tata Institute of Social Sciences, India
Universidade Estaduale de Campinas, Brazil
University of Witwatersrand, South Africa
Egerton University Kenya
University of Agriculture Faisalbad, Pakistan
Universidad Autonoma de Yucatan, Mexico

University: Cologne University Of Applied Sciences
Partner Universities: Jordan University, Jordan
Vietnam Academy for Water Ressources, Hanoi,
Vietnam
Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo,
Mozambique
Universida Autonoma de San Luis Potosi, Mexico

University: Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich
Partner Universities: Mbeya Referral Hospital (Med Research Unit) Mbeya, Tanzania
University of Danang, Vietnam
Jimma University, Ethiopia
Universidad Catolica de Norte, Coquimbo, Chile