Africa Competence Centre

Africa Competence Centre of the University of Würzburg

The Africa Competence Centre of the University of Würzburg (ACCUW) is an association of researchers who have been working closely with partners in Africa for many years.

Our goal is to network this research and cooperation, and to make it better known to the public through events, and thus at the same time providing an insight into the cultural and scientific landscapes of the African continent.

Africa and JMU

Reserach

Members

Impressions from the University Tent at the Africa Festival 2026

From May 23 to 25, 2026, the Africa Festival 2026 took place – this time in the heart of Würzburg’s city center. The Africa Competence Centre of the University of Würzburg (ACCUW) was represented with the University Tent directly in front of City Hall at the Vierröhrenbrunnen fountain, once again showcasing a selection of the many Africa-related research projects at the University of Würzburg.

With/About Africa: Research and Teaching at the University of Würzburg

For years, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg has been a centre for intensive, internationally acclaimed research on Africa and with African partners:

Radio Astronomy in Africa
Prof. Dr. Matthias Kadler and Prof. Dr. Karl Mannheim

UPSCALE: Climate-friendly Agriculture with Maximum Yield in East Africa
Prof. Dr. Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter and Dr. Michael Thiel

The Comoé National Park Research Station
Prof. Dr. K. Eduard Linsenmair and Dr. Erik T. Frank

African Ants – Paramedics in the Animal Kingdom
Dr. Erik T. Frank and Prof. Dr. K. Eduard Linsenmair

Researching the Fascinating Biology of the Sleeping Sickness Pathogen in Würzburg
Prof. Dr. Markus Engstler

Global Change on Kilimanjaro Endangers Biodiversity and Functions
Dr. Marcell Peters and Prof. Dr. Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter

Natural Products: Hope in the Fight Against Neglected Tropical Diseases and Cancer
Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Gerhard Bringmann

GreenMuseumHub: Sustainable Futures for Museums and Heritage Sites
Prof. Dr. Guido Fackler and Elisabeth Greifenstein

Black Voices in a White World of Music
Prof. Dr. Nepomuk Riva

Narratives of Musical Creativity in Post-Apartheid Cape Town
Prof. Dr. Juniper Hill

Be/longing: Contemporary Afro-Diasporic Women Writing
Jennifer Leetsch

German Involvement in the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Colonialism in Africa
PD Dr. Heike Raphael-Hernandez

The Literary Representation of Patrice Lumumba
Dr. Julien Bobineau

Black Studies on Instagram: Communicating Science
PD Dr. Heike Raphael-Hernandez

Drug Supply in Sub-Saharan Africa
Prof. Dr. Ronald Bogaschewsky, Felix Blank, Benjamin Siller

Relief Supplies in Sub-Saharan Africa
Benjamin Siller, Felix Blank, Prof. Dr. Ronald Bogaschewsky

Discoveries from Egyptian Temples: On Tradition, Economy, and Identity Formation in a Multicultural Context
Prof. Dr. Martin Andreas Stadler

Tropical Deforestation and Land Use Accelerate Climate Change in Tropical Africa
Prof. Dr. Heiko Paeth

UPSCALE: Climate-friendly Agriculture with Maximum Yield in East Africa
Prof. Dr. Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter and Dr. Michael Thiel

Sustainable Management of Hydropower Generation in West Africa
Dr. Michael Thiel and Dr. Sarah Schönbrodt-Stitt

Mapping in West Africa from Space
Dr. Michael Thiel

Remote Sensing Training in West Africa
Dr. Michael Thiel

North and West Africa. The last 200 years. Regeneration and desertification
Sani Ibrahim and Dr. rer. nat Prof. h.c. (Cluj) Erhard Schulz

Waste: Africa's Neglected Gold
Patience N. Ache

Africa and India: Challenges of a Millenia-Old Relationship
Dr. Philipp Gieg

Africa in International Relations: From Marginalization to Rising Influence?
Dr. Philipp Gieg and Timo Lowinger

Else Kröner Center for Advanced Medical & Medical Humanitarian Studies
Würzburg – Mwanza, Tanzania

SOPHEA: Healthy Planet – Healthy People
Dr. Eva-Maria Schwienhorst-Stich

InterAAECT – International Dialogue on Academic Adult Education
Prof.‘in Dr. Regina Egetenmeyer

The BEBUC Excellence Scholarship Program in Congo
Education for the DR Congo

News

The Africa, China, Europe and India Nexus: Academic Cooperation, Experience and Practice at CHARM-EU Universities

On 15–16 March 2027, the Africa, India and China Competence Centres (ACCUW, ICCUW, CCCUW) of the University of Würzburg will host a conference exploring academic cooperation between Africa, China, Europe and India. Bringing together researchers and university administrators from across the CHARM-EU alliance, the event will foster exchange on best practices, challenges and opportunities for international collaboration. Register now to join the discussion.

ACCUW at the University of Würzburg’s International Evening

The Africa Competence Center was represented at the University of Würzburg’s International Evening in June 2026. At the Sports Center on the Hubland campus, national and international students, university staff, interested members of the public, and especially school students who are considering studying at JMU and seeking early information about opportunities to study abroad gathered despite the midsummer heat.

Was Mwanza und Würzburg verbindet

Brückenschoppen, Störche und Stadtklänge: Diese und weitere Gemeinsamkeiten Mwanzas und Würzburgs zeigt eine Ausstellung der Uni Würzburg bis zum 30. Juni zur 60-jährigen Städtepartnerschaft im Rathaus.

Volles Haus bei der Eröffnung der Ausstellung "Leben mit Wissenschaft: Geschichten aus Mwanza & Würzburg"

Zahlreiche Gäste kamen am 2. Juni 2026 in das Rathaus der Stadt Würzburg, um die Ausstellung zu eröffnen, die im Rahmen des 60-jährigen Jubiläums der Städtepartnerschaft zwischen Mwanza und Würzburg entstanden ist.

Afrika and Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg

Africa and Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg

The Africa Competence Centre of the University of Würzburg (ACCUW) bundles the research collaborations of the scientists at JMU – and helps to strengthen Africa expertise in Bavaria through its membership of the Bavarian Research Institute for African Studies (BRIAS).

Afrika and JMU