The German Consul-General/Head of Mission, Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Lagos, Dr. Bernd von Munchow-Pohl, has said the University of Ibadan through its exchange programmes and students in the Department of European Studies made Ibadan dear to the German government.
He stated this during a courtesy visit to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kayode Adebowale, FAS, mni.
According to him, his visit to UI was particularly important because of the academic ties that existed between Germany and the University of Ibadan through Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and Deutscher Akademicscher Austauschdienst German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), adding that the relationship had since supported a great number of alumni on the academic exchange programmes, and increased the number of students offering German Studies in UI.
The German Consul-General, who was enthusiastic to be in UI on the bilateral relations between Germany and Nigeria, expressed his delight to be able to interact with the students studying German in the Department of European Studies.
‘This is very important to me as there are only two Universities that have German studies in the whole country for now. We hope to have the third one very soon. This also made Ibadan particularly dear to our heart,’ he stated.
Dr. Bernd von Munchow-Pohl promised to continue in his efforts to enhance interdisciplinary research and institutional collaboration with the University of Ibadan, the first and the best in Nigeria. He also promised to revisit the Germany-Nigeria Solar Power project in UI proposed in the year 2016 by his predecessor, the then German Ambassador to Nigeria, Amb. Michael Zenner.
The Vice-Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Professor Kayode Adebowale, FAS, mni, eulogised Germany for being the No. 1 top contributor to the global COVID-19 pandemic strategic preparedness and response plan, and one of the countries in the world to have more than 600 registered charities.
Enumerating the global impact of Germany, the VC remarked that the visit of the German Consul-General to UI was notable as it fell within the time that the University of Ibadan was making impactful efforts towards deepening research and development.
‘We are repositioning our Research Management Office (RMO) as well as our University Research Foundation (UI-RF) as the bedrock of the management of our research,’ he stated.
According to the VC, the continuous support of the Federal Republic of Germany will be highly appreciated, as Germany remains one of the major research and conference destinations for most of the scientists of the University of Ibadan.
According to the VC, there are 23 scientists who are Humboldlt alumni in UI, an attestation to the benefits derived from the German collaboration with the University of Ibadan. This record, the VC stated, has singled out the University of Ibadan as an institution that has the largest number of Humboldtians, as well as a significant number of staff members that have been awarded the DAAD Fellowship, research grants for further research in Germany, and assistance from other Germany based grant agencies.
He also appreciated the support of the German Government for Germanistic study in the Department of European Studies, and that for many years, UI had DAAD representatives domiciled in Ibadan.
Prof. Adebowale, therefore, appealed to the German Consul-General/Head of Mission to give prompt attention to genuine applications for travelling formalities for members of staff that are going for scientific research in Germany.
