The West African Center for Sustainable Rural Transformation (WAC-SRT) is a DAAD-funded Center of Excellence run in collaboration between ZEF and partner universities in Ghana and Niger. It addresses socio-economic, political, cultural, administrative and technological aspects of sustainable rural transformation in West Africa.

Our partners in Africa are:

Niger:

• Université Abdou Moumouni (UAM), Faculty of Science and Technology in Niamey

Ghana:

• University of Development Studies (UDS), Nyankpala Campus
• University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (UBIDS), Faculty of Planning and Land Management, Wa
• University of Ghana (UG), Institute for Statistical Social and Economic Research, Legon

Together with these partner institutions, ZEF has developed capacity building for Master and PhD students and academic staff, academic networking activities and research initiatives.

Since 2017 WAC-SRT develops interdisciplinary research and teaching programs to support knowledge-generation and -dissemination aimed at contributing to sustainable rural transformations and political stability in West Africa. This includes the development and sharing of innovative managerial and technological solutions, locally adapted business models and administrative approaches. At the same time the future experts who will implement these solutions are being trained.

Renewable energy generation and agricultural water management, for example, are crucial to cope with the effects of global warming, to enhance rural and urban livelihoods and wellbeing across West Africa.

Advanced experiences in the realm of renewable energy generation and agricultural water management, for instance, developed by our partners in Niger, benefit Ghana, especially in the light of its looming energy crisis and the need to promote climate smart agriculture. At the same time, innovative approaches in agricultural commercialization and locally adapted decentralized development planning conceived in Ghana can strengthen sustainable rural transformation in Niger.

Bringing partners from Niger and Ghana together, WAC-SRT fosters synergies to address problems that are shared by many West African countries. Building capacities, enhancing academic networking and providing solutions, the program bridges rural-urban and Anglophone-Francophone divides, contributing to West African sustainable rural transformation in an interdisciplinary and transnational manner.

Contact

Dr. Wolfram Laube (project leader)
E-mail: wlaube[at]uni-bonn.de
Phone: +49-228-73-4914

Christian Petersheim (project coordinator)
E-mail: petershe[at]uni-bonn.de
Phone: +49-228-73-4915

Aline Pereira (project coordinator)
E-mail: alinerbpereira[at]daad-alumni.de
Phone: +49-228-73-1728