ZEF researcher Abdul Haseeb Azizi (ZEF ECOL) obtained his doctoral degree (Dr.-Ing) for his doctoral thesis on "Water and Snow Storage Dynamics in Afghanistan: Coupling Ground Observations, Remote Sensing, Machine Learning, and Hydrological Modeling". His degree was granted by the Faculty of Agriculture, Nutritional Sciences and Engineering University of Bonn, Germany.  Supervision and tutoring Abdul Haseeb's primary supervisor was Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jürgen Kusche (University of Bonn), his co-supervisor was Prof. Dr. Christian Borgemeister (ZEF, University of Bonn). His tutors were Dr.-Ing. Bernhard Tischbein (ZEF, University of Bonn) and Dr.-Ing. Fazlullah Akhtar (ZEF, University of Bonn), who also gave scientific guidance and support throughout the PhD journey.

Sara Velander defended her doctoral thesis on “Science-Policy Interfaces Navigating Complex Governance Systems: Institutional Collaboration and Knowledge Uptake for Coherent and Sustainable Land Use” Her degree was granted by FB  06 - the Faculty of Education and Social Sciences / University of Münster under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Thomas Dietz (Primary supervisor, IfPol, University of Münster) and Prof. Dr. Christian Borgemeister (Secondary supervisor, Director at ZEF).

The German government has resorted to a number of austerity measures affecting various areas of society, including higher education and development cooperation. ZEF is among the institutions severely affected by government cuts in development-related training programs and university partnerships. Roughly half of ZEF's doctoral alumni have received funding over the past 30 years through the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD EPOS), one of the programs affected by the cuts. Many of these alumni have taken on leading positions in government administration or universities in their home countries or in international development or research organizations. Therefore, ZEF is part of a growing network-driven movement protesting against these cuts.

Hospice's degree was granted by the University of Bonn's Faculty of Agricultural, Nutritional and Engineering Sciences. His supervisor was Prof. Dr. Christian Borgemeister and his tutor Dr. Jan Henning Sommer.

The one-week Summer School was organized by ZEF and the Staff Unit for the Bonn Research Alliance (BORA) at the University of Bonn in collaboration with the St Andrews Centre for Critical Sustainabilities (StACCS) at the University of St Andrews, UK.

The Society for Caribbean Research (SOCARE) 2026 Early-Career Symposium brought together scholars from across the Americas, Europe, and the Caribbean to explore the region's complex histories, cultures, and futures. 

The recently initiated Iakumama project set off with flying start in Bonn. During their one-week visit to Bonn, members of the Yachaikury School, an indigenous knowledge center located in the Amazon rainforest, in Caquetá and partners in the Iakumama project, conducted a ritual on the riverside of the Rhine near Bonn. The ritual was performed under the guidance of Waira Jacanamijoy, who is leading the Yachaikury School.

NEW: Photo exhibition in ZEF’s lobby (Genscherallee 3, 53113 Bonn). ZEF senior researcher Asrat Gella takes you on a visual journey to the people of Konso, living in the mountainous highlands of southwestern Ethiopia. The cultural landscape of Konso has been a UNESCO Heritage Site since 2011. The photo exhibition shares impressions and information about the Kara ritual of the Konso. Learn more in the flyer (on display in the lobby too) or in the recording of the ZEF public lecture titled "Sacred Ecologies: The Kara Ritual of the Konso – Enacting Memory, Traditions and Power through the Generations" by Asrat Gella on June 11, 2026. You can watch the recording of the ZEF public lecture on our youtube channel here.