Human well-being and capabilities, social justice Boosting higher education and research for sustainable development worldwide

By promoting higher education networks and academic exchange programmes, the German Government has supported universities and scientific institutions based in developing countries and emerging economies in order to strengthen their participation in international scientific and academic dialogue. Here, funding for individuals was an important focus of attention, with grants awarded to students, lecturers and researchers, especially women and people from disadvantaged groups. Support is provided both in the developing countries and in Germany. Efforts are also being made to strengthen cooperation at the institutional level as a contribution to capacity-building in various countries. The Federal Government is involved in building and maintaining equal partnerships within the framework of the DAAD’s Centres of African Excellence programme, which is funded by the German Federal Foreign Office (AA). The DAAD’s UKUDLA Centre of Excellence, which opened in early 2025, promotes sustainable agricultural and food systems in Southern Africa through data science. UKUDLA is a pilot project and is initially benefiting from cross-departmental support from the German Federal Foreign Office, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity and the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR).

With support from the BMZ, more than 140 collaborative projects were funded annually through the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) (External link). They range from practical partnerships with business to global networks of excellence – for example, on Sustainable Energies, Entrepreneurship and Development (SEED). As part of the DAAD’s Dialogue on Innovative Higher Education Strategies (DIES) programme, higher education management courses, among other things, were provided, with a focus on the role played by universities in social change and on the impacts of artificial intelligence. With support from the German Government, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation awards scholarships (External link) and grants (External link) to outstanding researchers from the Global South who are making relevant contributions to development in their home countries and regions.

The broad-based integration of ESD in the higher education system is supported by the BMFTR’s funding guideline “Transformation pathways for sustainable universities”, among other things. Within this framework, 11 research networks and more than 40 institutions are studying pathways for climate-neutral universities for the promotion of a culture of sustainability at higher education institutions, and for the integration of education for sustainable development on an institution-wide basis.