EAGER Trans-Net
A successful university network of six universities in Tanzania, Kenya and Germany
The East African German Transdisciplinary University Network on rural-urban transformations (EAGER Trans-Net) is a well-established trinational university network that exists since 2016. It partners institutes from Tanzania, namely University of Dar es Salaam (Kishwahili Studies, Geography, Transportation and Geotechnical Engineering) and Ardhi University (Institute of Human Settlement Studies), from Kenya, namely University of Nairobi (Agricultural Economics, Literature, Geography and Environmental Studies, Psychology), Karatina University (Environmental Studies) and Chuka University (Environmental Sciences), and from Germany, namely Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (Geography, Agricultural Sciences, African Studies).
Emanating from many past cooperation activities, the network was established and formalised in 2016 as EAGERLearn (The East African German University Network for Research-Based Learning on Urban-Rural Transformations). The network’s initial activities were 1) joint study projects and 2) staff and student exchanges. Today, the network cooperates and collaborates in further activities, namely 3) research collaboration and joint supervision, 4) summer schools and 5) joint conferences and workshops. To allow for the extension of network activities, the network decided to change its name to EAGER Trans-Net in 2019.
The goals of EAGER Trans-Net
The network has three main goals which are:
1. Cooperation and exchange: long-term establishment and expansion of international cooperation between the universities (North-South-South + South-South),
2. Education and research: Support for scientific, self-responsible, interdisciplinary and intercultural learning,
3. Capacity building: support and qualification of young academic teachers and future researchers.
The topics of EAGER Trans-Net
The collaboration and cooperation focuses thematically on transformations of rural and urban areas in their social contexts in East Africa and Germany. The Sustainability Goals (SDGs) formulated by the UN in the Global Agenda 2030 form the framework of EAGER Trans-Net's work.
Three topics are in particular in focus:
Topic 1: Settlement, traffic and urban development,
Topic 2: Agricultural change and ecologically sustainable and socially responsible food production and food distribution systems,
Topic 3: Human-wildlife conflicts and biodiversity.
EAGER Trans-Net support
EAGER Trans-Net was established and supported mainly by funding from the EU Erasmus+ Programme. Furthermore, different funding schemes from Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (e.g. KOSMOS, Fakultätspartnerschaftsmittel) facilitated past activities of the network.
EAGER Trans-Net supports the International Agenda of the Presidential Committee of the HU to establish a key region in Southern Africa and strives to support the inter-institutional linkages among universities within East Africa.
Get involved
EAGER Trans-Net invites everyone interested in our topics and activities to support, join and contribute to our network and its aims. There are many possibilities to engage with EAGER Trans-Net and we are very happy to discuss any form of involvement.