CAPAZ IS DAAD’S NEW CENTER OF EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH AND TEACHING
The German-Colombian Peace Institute – CAPAZ has been designated by the German Academic Exchange Service – DAAD as “Centre of Excellence in Research and Teaching”.
As such, DAAD highlights CAPAZ’ contribution in the implementation of peace in Colombia through academic cooperation and scientific research between Colombia and Germany. CAPAZ’ fields of action include research, teaching and also advising civil, social and political actors on issues that reflect the complexity of peacebuilding in Colombia.
Ten founding institutions, including universities and research centres, formed the German-Colombian CAPAZ consortium: Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Universidad de los Andes, Universidad Externado de Colombia, Universidad del Rosario and Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. In Germany, the founders are: Justus Liebig University Giessen, University of Göttingen, Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg, Freie Universität Berlin, and the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF).
In 2018, the founding consortium extended its cooperation network to ten associate members in both countries: Universidad del Norte, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Universidad de Antioquia, Universidad de Caldas, Universidad de Medellín, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana de Medellín, Universidad de Ibagué and Universidad del Cauca. In Germany, CAPAZ partners are the University of Erfurt (Willy Brandt School of Public Policy) and the Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt (Centre for Latin American Studies – ZILAS).
DAAD’s inclusion of the CAPAZ Institute to the select group of Centres of Excellence in the world is the recognition of the successful collaborative work between these institutions, the researchers who work in them, and the projection of this work to the social, political, diplomatic and international cooperation spheres. This designation also opens the possibility of exchanges, from CAPAZ, with academic and research circles of international relevance.
DAAD Centres of Excellence
Since 2009, DAAD has qualified itself as a Centre of Excellence in Research and Teaching and has been highlighting transnational initiatives in academic and scientific cooperation through which Germany’s tradition in this field engages with international peers. It is thus recognised as having established long-term collaborative networks for the projection of knowledge into society.
In total, there are five DAAD Centres of Excellence in Research and Teaching: the CAPAZ Institute in Colombia, with others in Chile, Russia and Thailand. In Colombia, there is also the DAAD Centre of Excellence in Marine Sciences, CEMarin (Corporación Centro de Excelencia en Ciencias Marinas).
Read the press release on the appointment of CAPAZ as DAAD Centre of Excellence for Research and Teaching published by Justus Liebig University Giessen (Nr. 99, 22. May 2019, in German).
(Text: Claudia Maya. English version: Tiziana Laudato)