Blume lays the foundation stone for the FZA

The "Research Centre Society, Technology and Ecology in Africa - Challenges in the 21st Century" (FZA) is currently being built on 3,000 m² between the GWII and RWII buildings. In keeping with the great importance of this research field for the University of Bayreuth, the foundation stone was laid with high-ranking guests - first and foremost the Bavarian Minister of Science Markus Blume. He said: "We are putting the focus on Africa. Europe and Africa are closely linked geographically and historically - and we have a special responsibility! In Bavaria, we take this seriously. The motto is: partnership instead of structural dependence. Bayreuth's Africa research lives this credo. It opens up Africa's cultural development and diversity in dialogue: Here, research is conducted jointly at an absolutely top level! The research centre is a platform for interdisciplinary excellence and innovation - a global flagship in the humanities. Today is a milestone for Africa and Europe!"

In the FZA, the inter- and transdisciplinary cooperation of the diverse fields of African research is to be promoted. "For our African research, the new building is an enormously important place of encounter, but also an expression of the interdisciplinarity typical of Bayreuth. The fact that we are laying the foundation stone in the presence of the Minister of Science also shows that we play an outstanding role in African studies statewide and nationally," said University President Prof. Dr. Stefan Leible at the event.

The total cost of the building is planned at up to 39.2 million euros (incl. risk premium), with 10.7 million euros raised from the federal government. Construction began in November 2022, and the FMP is expected to be completed as early as the end of 2024. "I am very personally pleased that this project, which I have been able to accompany since 2018, is progressing so successfully. With this new research building, we are gaining space, which we also urgently need as a dynamic university and which offers new interaction possibilities for research with exciting spatial concepts," said Provost Dr Nicole Kaiser.

Prof. Dr. Cyrus Samimi, spokesperson of the FZA, also emphasised the importance of the new building: "The research building, along with the cluster, is the preliminary highlight of African research at the University of Bayreuth, which is based on the strategic decision to establish an African focus in Bayreuth."