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The FernUniversität in Hagen and the University of Namibia (UNAM) are global partners. A mutual Memorandum of Understanding has demonstrated the willingness of both universities to cooperate from 2023. The strategic partnership is already bearing fruit: On the FernUniversität side, the Faculty of Psychology, the Department of History and the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science are working together with UNAM. Two researchers from the Department of Social Psychology (Prof. Dr. Stefan Stürmer) recently traveled to Windhoek to intensify their work with Namibian students and faculty. The transfer of knowledge was a smooth process: Dr. Juma Kalyegira gave a lecture on the career prospects for professionals with a degree in psychology, e.g. from the FernUniversität. Dr. Jan-Bennet Voltmer conducted a workshop on statistical software with his academic colleagues at UNAM.

Benefits for students and faculty

"Our visit has shown that we need a long-term collaboration that will further strengthen the exchange of experiences - for both students and faculty," says Juma Kalyegira. Structurally, there are clear points of contact. The African university, which has around 30,000 students, also relies on location-independent online teaching formats and is organized in a similar way, with headquarters in Windhoek and twelve regional campuses. A native of Uganda himself, Kalyegira brings to the table not only his expertise but also valuable intercultural knowledge that will help foster mutual understanding. His prognosis remains clear: "The distance university and UNAM can work together in many areas - from training in important research skills to access to scientific literature and the use of licenses."

"When I was in contact with the people, I quickly realized that education is a highly valued asset in Namibia," says Jan-Bennet Voltmer. "And as a distance-learning university, we can offer continuing education opportunities to UNAM students. The conditions for this are not only favorable from a technical point of view: there is hardly any time difference between Namibia and Central Europe. "This makes it relatively easy for students from Namibia to participate synchronously in our online courses. In addition, English and German are still widely spoken throughout the country - the latter as a result of German colonial rule from 1884 to 1915. "However, we also offer courses in English in our newly accredited master's program in business psychology," the psychologist points out.

Setting sail for sustainability

In any case, the new business psychology program, which includes many sustainability topics in its curriculum, could offer an important perspective for Namibia. The country is currently undergoing an economic turnaround, and forward-looking policy decisions are imminent: With an abundance of sun and wind, the location lends itself to the production of sustainable electricity. "There is a major project in Namibia to produce green hydrogen. The country is also known as a major exporter of uranium. In addition, new oil reserves have recently been discovered off the Namibian coast.

"In Namibia, students have a strong focus on clinical psychology, i.e. counseling and therapy. But with the changes that are coming, there is also a growing need for professionals trained in environmental psychology. An exciting area of development: "We can benefit a lot from cultural exchange, from the Namibian perspective," says Voltmer. In view of the current dynamics in the country, it is also important to deal with the responsibility resulting from violent colonial rule. In general, he welcomes the opportunity to think outside the box: "For our distance learning students, it is therefore beneficial for many reasons to come into contact with Namibia.

Strengthening ties

The FernUniversität wants to expand in many areas in the future. "We want to exchange ideas with our project partners on an even more regular basis," emphasizes Voltmer. The aim is to involve not only the academic departments, but also the administration. In the field of psychology, Prof. Stefan Stürmer and his team already have concrete plans: "We want students from Namibia not only to participate in our modules from afar, but also to visit us for special study weeks." The FernUni is looking for funding to cover travel costs, for example. Students from Africa will also soon be able to take part in the empirical experimental internship that is an integral part of the psychology curriculum in Hagen: "There they learn how to do psychological research, here they learn how to do psychological research. There are cultural differences that we can learn from. But one thing is clear: everyone has a high level of expertise."