Next Phase of African Excellence Center Launched
Following a successful first funding phase 2021 to 2025, the Center for African Excellence on Sustainable Operations for Resource Management and Food Supply (SCO) has now secured an additional five years of funding of around two million Euros. Kühne Logistics University (KLU) hosted the first faculty workshop with the SCO partners, taking place from 23 to 27 February 2026.
The SCO center is coordinated by KLU and funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), being part of its Centers of African Excellence initiative, which supports long-term academic partnerships between African and German universities.
Faculty members from SCO partner institutions, including the University of Ghana Business School, the University of Nairobi, the University of Dar es Salaam, and LEARN Logistics, participated in the workshop.
Key outcomes of the meeting included:
- Planning core activities for the next five years, including academic programs, research collaboration, and training initiatives.
- Specific training sessions, including workshops on teaching sustainability and the use of AI in academia.
- Developing outreach strategies to promote SCO activities and opportunities to stakeholders across participating countries.
Supporting Academic Capacity in Africa
The center focuses on strengthening higher education, capacity building and training for academics in areas related to sustainable operations, resource management, and food supply systems.
Academic programs developed and supported by the SCO include:
- Master in Business Research (MBR)
- Master in Sustainable Management and Operations (SuMO)
These programs are delivered at the University of Nairobi and the University of Dar es Salaam, with support for master’s scholarships and doctoral supervision.
More information:
- Sustainable Operations for Resource Management and Food Supply (SCO) on DIGI-FACE, an online platform providing teaching, learning, research, and communication opportunities for the African Higher Education community.
- DAAD program: Sustainable Operations for Resource Management and Food Supply (SCO)
- Your contacts at KLU:
Maria Besiou, Professor Humanitarian Logistics, Academic Director of the Center of Humanitarian Logistics and Regional Development (CHORD);
Prof. Dr. Andreas K. Gernert, Assistant Professor for Sustainable Operations;
Dr. Michela Tacca, Head of Research Funding Management.
