20 Years of Partnership: RPTU Expands Collaboration with the University of Botswana
RPTU University Kaiserslautern-Landau is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its DAAD-funded exchange programme with the University of Botswana (UB), while at the same time looking ahead to the future: the institutional partnership is set to be further expanded, with a particular focus on joint research, international projects and sustainable networks.
On 17 June 2026, RPTU University Kaiserslautern-Landau, together with numerous distinguished guests, celebrated the 20th anniversary of its exchange programme with the University of Botswana (UB). Among the attendees were high-ranking honorary guests, including Kai Sicks, the Secretary General of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), David Norris, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Botswana and Casper Bonyongo, the Director of the Okavango Research Institute at the University of Botswana. The Ambassador of the Republic of Botswana to Germany, HE John-Thomas Dipowe, had to cancel his attendance at short notice, unfortunately: However, an address was delivered on his behalf by Thapelo Otlogetswe, the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences at the University of Botswana.
The celebrations vividly demonstrated how a long-standing academic partnership has increasingly evolved into a dynamic and growing network, which will continue to advance joint research, teaching and societal impact across continents in the years to come. This remarkable development was also highlighted by RPTU President Malte Drescher in his welcome address, in which he emphasised: “We aim for a real strategic partnership.” Oliver Frör, Vice President for International Affairs, Sustainability and Infrastructure Development at RPTU, underscored that the partnership is both broadly and deeply rooted: deeply in the sense that a large number of people is involved, and broadly in the sense that it extends beyond mere exchange to encompass joint projects, publications and collaborative funding proposals.
Since 2006, the programme — funded by the DAAD within the framework of “International Study and Training Partnerships (ISAP)” — has offered numerous students and members of teaching staff from both universities the opportunity to engage in intensive academic and intercultural exchange. To date, around 100 students and 20 lecturers (almost equally split between the two countries) have participated in the programme.
A Strong Partner for the Environmental Sciences and beyond
At RPTU, the exchange programme contributes to the research focus on “Global Varieties of English” at the English Department, as project coordinator Prof. Dr. Frank Polzenhagen explained. Further collaborations are currently emerging in the fields of educational and environmental sciences.
A particularly valuable partner for RPTU’s environmental sciences, with its focus on land–water ecosystem interactions, is the Okavango Research Institute at UB, which conducts research in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Okavango Delta. There are numerous potential synergies in this field: expertise based at RPTU, for instance, can contribute to improved data collection, allowing for more precise assessments of the environmental impacts of dam construction on the Okavango Delta ecosystem. Moreover, RPTU has extensive experience in cross-border research projects — a domain of activity that the University of Botswana intends to expand further in the future, too.
In April, a four-member delegation from RPTU’s educational sciences visited the University of Botswana (UB) in Gaborone. During their one-week stay, joint initiatives were agreed upon in the fields of educational research, teacher education, art education and vocational training. The UB delegation that attended the anniversary celebration of the ISAP exchange in English studies also visited the faculties of Educational Sciences, Cultural and Social Sciences, and Computer Science, as well as the Centres for Teacher Education in Landau and Kaiserslautern.
Students and Researchers Gain Experience of Africa
What is also highly important to RPTU is the opportunity for students and researchers to gain first-hand experience in African contexts. As Christian Dorsch from RPTU’s International Affairs Office emphasises, the programme “provides valuable insights into African realities while simultaneously strengthening international perspectives.” As a national public university, the University of Botswana offers a wide range of networks and anchor points across the African continent. Future collaborations with other African countries could be initiated based on this partnership, drawing on successful best-practice examples.
Botswana — long regarded as a politically stable and economically successful country in Southern Africa — offers reliable conditions for research, exchange and cooperation, thus providing an excellent foundation for the continued expansion of this fruitful partnership.