The Africa-Strategies of the BMBF
The strategic orientation of cooperation in education and research with African countries is summarised in the BMBF's:
These set out the principles and priorities of the cooperation. Germany hereby emphasises the importance of research cooperation with African partners and becomes visible as a central partner in education and research.
Cooperation in education, science and research is intended to promote new prospects for the future and sustainable development opportunities on the African continent. This is the main objective of the Africa Strategy of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research presented by Federal Research Minister Anja Karliczek in autumn 2018. Special priorities are:
- supporting innovation systems locally in a targeted manner in order to strengthen the economic prospects in the partner countries;
- improving the quality of teaching and qualifying university graduates for the labour market; and
- further internationalising education, science and research.
The DLR Project Management Agency is both the point of contact and the implementation organisation for cooperation measures in the fields of education, research and innovation, and thus plays a central role in the implementation of the political strategy.
The Internationalisation Strategy of the Federal Government
With its Strategy for the Internationalisation of Education, Science and Research, the Federal Government is laying the foundations for more closely networked international cooperation. Global challenges such as climate change, sustainable energy supply, food security and migration do not stop at national borders. Solutions can only be developed jointly in cross-border cooperation in education, science and research.
One of the strategy's five goals is to jointly shape the global knowledge society in partnership with emerging and developing countries. Many of these countries are becoming new or increasingly important partners in cooperation. Education, research and innovation have a positive influence on social and economic development and thus also contribute to peace and stability in these countries.
The intensification of cooperation aims to enable and facilitate access to knowledge, researchers and partners locally or digitally. In its practical implementation, it builds on proven instruments and programmes of international cooperation. Germany is highly recognised as a reliable partner in many developing and emerging countries.
The Joint Africa-EU Strategy
The Joint Africa-Europe Strategy (JAES) between Europe and the African continent aims, among other things, to improve and intensify cooperation in the fields of science, technology and innovation. The strategy process is accompanied by a dialogue forum at the level of higher decision-makers on both continents: the so-called High Level Policy Dialogue – HLPD.
This dialogue forum is supported by a virtual office, the HLPD Bureau, which is chaired by the European Union (EU) and African Union (AU) Commissions and co-organised by Member States on both sides. Since its nomination in January 2014, the BMBF has been a permanent member of the HLPD Bureau with the aim of anchoring German research priorities in the implementation of the JAES and strategically shaping new forms of multilateral cooperation. The DLR Project Management Agency supports the BMBF in its active role as Germany's representative in the HLPD Bureau.
The DLR Project Management Agency and the BMBF jointly prepare and follow up the meetings, some of which are also held on behalf of the ministry. This gives the DLR Project Management Agency a central insight into ongoing strategy processes and enables it to participate in the processes in an advisory capacity on the basis of its regional expertise as defined by the BMBF. In order to breathe life into the joint strategy, the HLPD 2016 agreed on the "Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture (FNSSA)" as the first priority topic for joint measures. There are already successfully implemented projects in this area, such as the LEAP-Agri and LEAP4FNSSA research projects jointly supported by African and European funding organisations.
Other objects of HLPD attention are collaborative formats like the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy (CCSE), and the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP). The DLR Project Management Agency was heavily involved in both roadmap processes and thus represents a link to other organisations active in this field.
