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.

The TUM.Africa Talent Call for 2024 is now closed. We will inform you about future calls on this page.

Key program details

In the second TUM.Africa Talent Call, a total of six doctoral candidates from the sub-Saharan Africa region will be able to receive funding in the frame of the Erasmus+ program of the European Commission for a 3-4 months research stay at TUM. In addition to their individual research projects, participants will benefit from an exclusive program promoting transferable skills and networking initiatives.

While this call 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 will be eligible to receive funding in the framework of TUM.Africa Talent. The program aims at promoting early-career female researchers in STEM and the nomination of female candidates is strongly encouraged.

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 talks on a program focus topic (this year: Future Skills: Key Competencies for a Transforming World). 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 during the entire application and program phase (doctorate must not be completed by the end of the program) (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 (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.

TUM professors and Junior Fellows* may nominate a doctoral candidate from KNUST or another SSA partner university. Additionally, TUM professors/Junior Fellows will nominate a TUM doctoral candidate (“buddy”) from their chair/research group for the respective doctoral candidate from KNUST/other SSA partner university. These buddies will profit from additional funding for a research stay at KNUST or other research institutions in SSA as a follow-up measure. During the annual call, nominations can be submitted via our TUM.Africa Talent Wiki
* This includes professors/ Junior Fellows whose main affiliation is with TUM or MRI TUM.

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.