For the University of Siegen, international connections are very important in order to enrich teaching and research with different ideas and perspectives. These connections rely on the cultivating of close personal relationships with researchers from all across the world. Some of the most important relationships for this purpose are those between professors and Research Alumni, researchers who have previously studied at the University of Siegen but are now based elsewhere.
One example of how to maintain these relationships was seen at a Research Alumni Network Meeting, which was hosted by the Centre for Planning and Evaluation of Social Services (ZPE) from 8th-12th July 2018. This network meeting was organised by Prof. Dr. Schädler, manager of the ZPE, and his research assistant; Lars Wissenbach. They welcomed Dr. Augustina Naami, and Dr. Efua Esaaba Agyire-Tettey, who is a former PhD student of Prof. Dr. Schädler, to Siegen.
Dr. Agyire-Tettey and Dr. Naami are based at the University of Ghana’s Department of Social Work and specialise in the fostering the inclusion of vulnerable people, particularly those with disabilities, into society. They each have substantial experience in international scientific cooperation, with Dr. Naami and Dr. Agyire-Tettey having spent many years studying in the United States and Germany respectively. They also presented the results of the project which is ran jointly by the universities of Ghana and Siegen. These results were not only presented to stakeholders, but also to students of the University of Siegen with an interest in social work and inclusion. Their joint project is specifically focused on barriers to social inclusion in the district of Suhum, in Ghana.
After the presentation of results, both sides had the chance to discuss potential avenues for future cooperation, as well as the possibility of acquiring new sources of funding, so that they could continue their recent work on a larger scale within Ghana, as well as begin new projects. These kind of face to face meetings provide the basis for the many years of cooperation between the Universities of Ghana and Siegen, and this cooperation will continue to produce scientific research that is more insightful and informed than what could be produced by either institution acting alone.