Federal Foreign Office supporting the German-East African University of Applied Sciences

Together with African partners, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and German universities of applied science, the Federal Foreign Office is planning to set up a German-East African University of Applied Sciences. The aim is to train qualified experts and managerial staff to work for businesses based in the region. The University is going to be in Kenya and the Kenyan Government has given an assurance of its financial support and other input.

Foreign Minister Steinmeier:

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The German-East African University of Applied Sciences is a tailor-made training solution to satisfy the huge need for trained staff in the region. I am convinced that such a university of applied sciences will serve as a flagship project for Germany’s practical cooperation with the countries in eastern Africa and will provide important momentum for staff training on the ground.

Today German businesses and foundations discussed the project with a view to developing training in the university of applied sciences sector that is coordinated with businesses and which meets their needs. The project has attracted great interest. Participants were discussing, for example, training partnerships, support for faculty chairs and scholarships.

Background information:

The Federal Foreign Office is extending its engagement in the education and business sector of eastern Africa. The region is attractive to international investors due to its long-standing high economic growth of 6% of GDP, the discovery of important oil, gas and mineral deposits, dynamic innovation trends through digital transformation and considerable infrastructure investment which is already under way. Kenya, in particular, is turning into the economic and technological heartland in the region and is also attracting German businesses.

The country is seeing on the one hand a growing shortage of experts and managerial staff and on the other hand high youth unemployment. What is crucial for the university landscape is to develop practice-oriented training options for engineers in all sectors which are coordinated with industry as quickly as possible. This is where the German model of university of applied sciences and the expertise provided by German businesses can feed in perfectly.

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2016/161107_FH_Ostafrika.html?nn=479796