LAUNCH IN HAMBURG OF A CAMEROONIAN-GERMAN PROJECT ON POSTCOLONIAL EDUCATION
Hamburg, September 1, 2026 – The Faculty of Education at the University of Hamburg hosted the opening ceremony on September 1, 2026, for the Cameroonian-German project “Erziehung, Bildung, Kolonialität. Postkoloniale Bildung in der erziehungswissenschaftlichen Hochschullehre” (Education, Bildung, Coloniality. Postcolonial Education in University Teaching in Educational Sciences), dedicated to integrating postcolonial perspectives into higher education in educational sciences.
Funded by the Stiftung Innovation in der Hochschullehre (Foundation for Innovation in Higher Education), this two-year project (April 1, 2026 – March 31, 2028) involves four universities: the University of Garoua, the University of Yaoundé I, the University of Hamburg, and Goethe University Frankfurt am Main.
A Long-Term University Cooperation
The project is part of a cooperative dynamic that has been ongoing for several years between Cameroonian and German academic institutions. It follows in particular the visit, in June 2025, of a delegation from the University of Maroua, led by its Rector, to the Faculty of Education at the University of Hamburg. This meeting made it possible to explore possibilities for a partnership in the field of educational sciences and to lay the foundations for the cooperation now materialized through this project.
The establishment of this initiative was also facilitated by Dr. Hamidou Hassana, a visiting researcher and lecturer at the University of Garoua and former doctoral student at the University of Hamburg and the University of Maroua. His academic background and the ties established with his former university played an important role in bringing the various partners together.
Bringing Together Cameroonian and German Perspectives
One of the project’s main objectives is to enable students and teachers to reflect on educational processes through a critical analysis of colonialism, coloniality, and their contemporary continuities.
Special attention is given to the need not to approach these issues solely from a German or European perspective. The participation of the Universities of Garoua and Yaoundé I thus makes it possible to integrate Cameroonian and African experiences, knowledge, and perspectives into teaching and research activities.
The project specifically plans for the design and evaluation of a joint Master’s-level seminar entitled “Erziehung, Bildung, Kolonialität,” the development of Open Educational Resources (OER), and the preparation of a position paper dedicated to reflexive education in the face of colonialism and its consequences up to the present day.
A Launch Workshop with Cameroonian and German Students
Activities began on September 2, 2026, with a launch workshop (Auftaktworkshop) that continues until September 5 at the University of Hamburg. It brings together the project’s various partners as well as Cameroonian and German students, with five students from each participating university.
Based on the approach of research-based learning (“forschendes Lernen”), this workshop aims to foster scientific and intercultural exchange and to allow students to compare their experiences and perspectives on issues of education, coloniality, and postcoloniality.
Cameroonian participation, however, was affected by difficulties in obtaining visas. Several students were thus unable to travel to Germany. Prof. Pierre Fadibo, Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Garoua, was also unable to participate in the activities for the same reason.
Perspectives for Higher Education
The opening ceremony brought together several officials and teacher-researchers from the partner institutions, including Prof. Dr. Sylvia Kesper-Biermann, project director; Prof. Dr. Claus Krieger, Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Hamburg; Prof. Liebing, Honorary Consul of Cameroon in Hamburg; Prof. Ahadji Mahamat from the University of Garoua; Prof. Dr. Alexis Armélien Gasisou from the École Normale Supérieure of Yaoundé I; Prof. Dr. Ilonca Hardy, Vice Dean for Academic Affairs at the University of Frankfurt; as well as Prof. Dr. Bettina Kleiner from Goethe University Frankfurt and Dr. Hamidou Hassana.
Through this cooperation, the Cameroonian and German partners aim to contribute to the renewal of teaching practices and curricula in educational sciences, while fostering a pluralistic and critical approach to colonial history and its legacies.
This project thus constitutes a new step in strengthening university and scientific cooperation between Cameroon and Germany, placing dialogue between knowledge systems and perspectives at the heart of training future generations.
