The German Consul-General/Head of Mission, Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Lagos, Dr. Bernd von Munchow-Pohl, has lauded the University of Ibadan over the relationship and ties that exist between the institution and his country.
Von Muenchow-Pohl made this known yesterday when he paid a courtesy visit to the institution’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Kayode Adebowale, stressing that the ties that exist between the University and his country has made Ibadan, the third largest city in Nigeria dear to the German Government.
According to him, his visit to UI was particularly important because of the academic ties that exist between Germany and the nation’s Premier University 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 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 saying, “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 assured an enhancement of interdisciplinary research and institutional collaboration with the University of Ibadan, promising a revisit to the institution so as to see to the actualisation of 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.
In his speech, Professor Adebowale, sought for the continuous support of the government of Germany, noting that the nation is among the major research and conference destinations for most of the scientists of the institution.
Adebowale also appealed to the German Consul-General to give prompt attention to genuine applications for travelling formalities for members of staff whose mission is for scientific research in Germany.
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 commended the German Government for being among the top contributors 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.
He equally appreciated the support of the German Government for Germanistic study in the Department of European Studies, pointing out that for years, UI had DAAD representatives domiciled in Ibadan.
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 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.
