The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is funding - as part of the ‘African Centres of Excellence - DAAD’ funding programme, which has been funded since 2008 - the Line A (Capacity Building and Transfer) of the “African-German Center for Just Energy Transition (South Africa)” programme from the Federal Foreign Office (AA) and Line B (Funding for German doctoral students and post-docs)’ from the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR).
The Centres of African Excellence funding programme supports the development and establishment of (degree) programmes in selected disciplines for the training and further education of specialists and managers for science, society and business, the creation of research capacities and the networking of research institutions on the African and German sides.
The issue of energy and renewable energies for sub-Saharan Africa must be seen in the overall context of a necessary global energy transition: One of the main causes of climate change is above all the burning of fossil fuels to generate energy; at the same time, energy is considered a crucial basis for economic and social development in accordance with Sustainable Development Goal SDG 7. In a global comparison, one in eight people still have no access to electricity; in sub-Saharan Africa, this affects around 600 million people. As universal access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy is a prerequisite for economic growth, employment, poverty reduction, good education and healthcare, there is an urgent necessity to create the basis for security of supply and enable access to an energy supply that is needs-based, sustainable and therefore climate-neutral. At the same time, the implementation of the energy transition and fair access to energy supply can prevent conflicts over raw materials and any associated crises.
A thematically relevant centre of expertise will use a holistic approach to bring together course development/training/capacity building (AA component) and research and transfer cycles (BMFTR component), with German and African partners specifically applying transdisciplinary approaches (transformative and interdisciplinary). The development and use of modern technologies in relation to renewable energies requires a comprehensive capacity building offer in the field of teaching, which can be implemented both at Master's level and in the form of further education modules, as well as the promotion of young scientists in the form of doctoral and postdoctoral programmes. Due to the desideratum of energy supply security for the African continent and the associated training of specialists and decision-makers in the field of renewable energies, the research sub-area is not only of great importance specifically for the specialist centre and the technological aspect, but can also provide transnational/international impetus for similar initial situations in the context of the necessity of a global energy transition. Furthermore, a central component of a research area should also invoice the desideratum of the transfer approach and establish application-orientated transfer cycles: Considering sustainability goal no. 7, according to which energy and a fair and climate-neutral energy supply are basic prerequisites for economic and social development, it is urgently necessary to feed research questions from impulses from (civil) society itself and then reconnect them with society, business and politics for further decision-making and development processes, so that a relevant discourse and an informed decision-making process emerges at different levels.
Synergies with the existing network of specialist centres and the respective specialist expertise are to be used continuously at various levels (project management, specialist synergies and transfer processes, digital platform DIGI-FACE). Through the expertise of the DAAD, the approach of impact-oriented monitoring for quality and sustainability assurance will be incorporated into the project; in addition, the DAAD will inform and support the project via DAAD standard programmes
The areas of teaching/learning, promoting young talent, capacity building, research and knowledge transfer are to be brought together in the overall concept using a holistic approach; in addition, an interdisciplinary approach will be utilised thematically. The key stakeholders would be actively involved in all phases of a research and innovation cycle so that the transdisciplinary approach enshrined in the 2030 Agenda could be comprehensively implemented.
Programme objectives
The programme aims to strengthen the further qualification of young scientists in the field of application-oriented & transdisciplinary research by providing (digital) teaching and supervision for doctoral students, postdocs and young scientists at participating universities in Southern Africa in accordance with international standards. In addition, a special focus will be placed on the transfer of current research findings to science, business, politics and civil society.
