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Technical University of Munich
Technical University of Munich

TUM.Africa Talent

The TUM.Africa Talent program, which was first launched in 2022, is a research exchange program that brings together talented and highly motivated doctoral candidates from the sub-Saharan Africa region with professors and doctoral candidates at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). TUM.Africa Talent participants thus share common goals: scientific excellence, the promotion of knowledge and mutual understanding, and the desire to have a positive societal impact. With this program, TUM aims to strengthen its long-term institutional relationships in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and support a strong, growing TUM.Africa Talent network of academics in SSA connected to TUM. Further, TUM.Africa Talent seeks to promote early-career researchers in the region with a special focus on early-career female scientists in STEM.

Key program details

Annually, a total of six doctoral candidates from the sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are able to receive funding for a 3 to 4-months research stay at TUM. While the program is primarily aimed at candidates from TUM’s strategic partner Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology (KNUST), up to two candidates from other partners in SSA are further eligible to receive funding in the framework of TUM.Africa Talent.

Designed as a true research exchange and networking program, TUM.Africa Talent provides TUM Professors and Junior Fellows the opportunity to nominate a doctoral candidate as well as a "buddy" amongst their TUM doctoral candidates for each doctoral candidate from the SSA partner university. These buddies will benefit from program specific additional funding for their own research stay at the partner university in sub-Saharan Africa. Candidates and their buddies will form a cohort, i.e. while they will be engaged in individual research projects, complementary elements of the program will be group-oriented.

The cohort will have the opportunity to participate in accompanying workshops and expert talks on the program focus topic Sustainable Global Leadership. The program also comprises Welcome Days and further networking events to promote long-term connections between candidates, buddies and their supervisors. After successful completion of the program, a TUM participation certificate will be issued.

  • Candidates (1) must be enrolled as doctoral candidates in an SSA academic institution and reside in an sub-Saharan African country for the duration of the doctorate; (2) must have an outstanding academic profile (publications, teaching activities, project management etc.); (3) must be nominated by a TUM Professor/Junior Fellow, thus have a research focus within the current domains of scientific or technological research activity at TUM; (4) must be supported by their supervisor at their home university; (5) outcomes of the research stay at TUM (such as publications) shall be shared by TUM and KNUST/other SSA partner university.
  • Buddies (1) must be fully admitted as doctoral candidates at TUM; (2) must work at the same institution/research projects as the incoming candidates; (3) must be nominated by a TUM Professor/Junior Fellow.

All TUM Professors and TUM Junior Fellows are welcome to submit nominations. During the annual call, nominations can be submitted via our TUM.Africa Talent Wiki

The next call for nominations is expected to be published in October 2023.

Participating SSA doctoral candidates receive fixed rates for a monthly allowance for subsistence (850 €/month) as well as support for travel expenses (up to 820 €). Funding will largely be provided in the frame of the Erasmus+ program of the European Commission.

TUM buddies are eligible for additional TUM-GS mobility funding for a research stay at KNUST or another SSA university.

Housing assistance: During their stay at TUM, incoming TUM.Africa Talent candidates have the opportunity to rent dormitory places at favorable rates.

The Welcome Office of the TUM Graduate School (TUM-GS) will further provide advice and information regarding visa and entry requirements, enrollment as guest doctoral candidates, and campus life.

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