On Sunday, 24th of August, SMUS-APRI Post-Docs Mildred Murende Ambani Songoro, Evance Mwathunga, and Calvince Ouko Othoo were invited to present their research at the DAAD booth during the BMZ Open Day.
The scholars shared the topics of their Research Stay with MinDir. Dr. Marc Schattenmann, Head of the Zentralabteilung at BMZ, who was introduced to the group by Andreas Böhler, DAAD Head of Section Development Cooperation: Partnership Programmes, Alumni Projects.
The three Post-Docs are part of the 2025 SMUS-APRI Urban Africa Post-Doctoral Research Scholarship Program that aims to enhance the capacity of the selected researchers to succinctly communicate research findings on urban wicked problems in the specific context of African urban agglomerations to policymakers and the public through policy briefs.
The Post-Docs are receiving hands-on training and mentoring in policy brief writing from colleagues at the African Policy Research Institute (APRI), a Berlin-based think tank that conducts research on key policy issues affecting African countries and the continent as a whole, and provides evidence-based insights to policymakers.
Both DAAD and BMZ reaffirmed their commitment to sustainable development through education and international cooperation and were pleased to hear that Dr. Evance Mwathunga will present his policy brief at the Malawi Urban Forum (29–30 October), organised by the Malawian Ministry of Local Government in collaboration with the National Habitat Committee. This high-level forum on urban issues in Malawi is a strong example of how academia can contribute to policy-making and development cooperation.
The 2025 SMUS Post Docs are:
Mildred Murende Ambani Songoro
All five SMUS-APRI Post-Docs will have their Policy Briefs featured in an APRI Urban Africa Special Policy Brief Series, which will be made available on both the SMUS and APRI websites.
Stay tuned for the launch of the series!