The FA(ST)²Africa Networking Meeting in Nairobi has led to new opportunities for collaboration: At the invitation of the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA), KIT participated in the 17th IUCEA Annual Meeting and Conference. The event focused on strategic partnerships and new opportunities for cooperation in the fields of climate, water, energy, and artificial intelligence.

New perspectives for weather and climate research in Africa: The KIT-coordinated AF-FAIR project has been selected for funding under Horizon Europe. Its focus is on AI-based weather prediction and climate projection as well as close collaboration between African and European partners.

How can international research stays spark new collaborations? Dr. Elijah Omolo Ayieta from the University of Nairobi talks about his research on advanced materials, his stay at KIT, and the potential for long-term cooperation between the two institutions within the framework of FA(ST)²Africa.

Professor Leonard K. Amekudzi is a meteorologist and climate scientist at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi, Ghana. As a FA(ST)²Africa Scholar, he spent    12 weeks (3 Months) at KIT exploring opportunities for closer collaboration between African universities and KIT. In this interview, he explains why successful research partnerships are built through co-creation, what universities can learn from one another, and why a strong sense of community is just as important as scientific excellence.

There are still places available for the FA(ST)²Africa Intercultural Training with a focus on East Africa on 8 October 2026. The full-day training is aimed at KIT members who are already collaborating with partners in East Africa or are planning to establish cooperation in the region. If you are interested in participating, please get in touch with mary.shopitan9@kit.edu to register.

As a FA(ST)²Africa scholarship holder, Dr. Ellen Kayendeke from Makerere University in Uganda is working with researchers at KIT to better understand how environmental change affects wetland ecosystems. In this interview, she shares insights into her research, reflects on her experience at KIT, and explains why strong scientific partnerships begin with shared research questions.

What makes a successful scientific partnership between Africa and Europe? In this interview, FA(ST)²Africa Scholar Dr Samia Chasi from the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits University) in Johannesburg reflects on her stay at KIT, shares her perspective on international collaboration, and discusses the potential of the growing partnership between KIT and Wits.

More than 30 years of scientific collaboration connect KIT and the University of Cape Town. Built on trust, academic exchange, and shared research, this long-standing partnership now also provides a strong foundation for the FA(ST)2Africa project.

Scholarship holders Dr. Ellen Kayendeke, Prof. Dr. Leonard K. Amekudzi and Dr. Samia Chasi shared insights into their research and professional experience at the second FA(ST)2Africa Networking Event, held at KIT Campus South on 17 June 2026.

Marburger

New partnerships, growing networks, and the first scholarship fellows at KIT: The FA(ST)²Africa Mid-Term Meeting highlighted the project's progress in strengthening research collaboration between KIT and African partner institutions.

When will the next rain come – and will it be enough? For millions of people in the Horn of Africa, this question is existential. Kenyan climatologist Dr. Phillip Okello Ochieng is working at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) to improve climate forecasting – thereby supporting decision-making in agriculture, water management, and disaster risk reduction.

Participants of the FA(ST)2Africa Networking Meeting in Nairobi draw a positive conclusion. They agree that global challenges can only be addressed through global collaboration.

A second FA(ST)2Africa networking workshop in Nairobi brought together partners from East Africa and KIT in December 2025 to discuss new perspectives for scientific collaboration.

In December 2025, project coordinator Dr. Marlon Maranan traveled to West Africa to further strengthen scientific partnerships and academic training in the field of climate adaptation. His visit included the partner university in Akure, Nigeria, and a strategic NetCDA workshop in Lomé, Togo. The focus was on teaching, early-career researcher support, and long-term capacity building. The trip highlights how climate research, education, and international cooperation come together on the ground.

From October 6 to 8, 2025, representatives of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) met with partners from southern Africa in Stellenbosch to discuss joint research priorities and future cooperation strategies.

TECH4Transition is a KIT project within the framework of FA(ST)2Africa. The aim is to promote technology-oriented start-ups in Africa and strengthen their visibility in international markets. The focus is on establishing transnational innovation networks, sustainable partnerships and the development of sustainable solutions at the interface between science, business and society.