Accompanied by members of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), the guests from Kenya visited Germany as part of a one-week benchmarking trip. During this trip, they gained valuable insights into the cooperation between academic institutions and industry.
The USIU, which has around 6,500 students, has joined forces with Kenyan pharmaceutical companies, the German Chamber of Foreign Trade (AHK) and the PTB to launch a one-year dual training program for pharmaceutical technicians in Kenya.
The delegation was impressed by the practical training at the TH OWL and its advanced research approaches. Dr. Lincoln Munyendo from the School of Pharmacy & Health Sciences at USIU emphasized: “Our main goal in this visit is to learn about different models of partnership between academic institutions and industry, particularly for technology transfer and capacity building in the pharmaceutical industry.”
During their stay, the guests had intensive discussions with TH-OWL Vice President Professor Dr. Uta Pottgiesser and professors from the fields of biotechnology, microbiology and chemistry
Brian Sande, representative of the Center of Excellence in Pharmaceutical Innovation and Analysis (CEPIA) at USIU, was particularly impressed by the facilities and research activities at TH OWL: “I am very impressed, especially by the facilities and technological advances at the university. The research is first-class, and we would like to implement standards like this in Kenya too. We will continue to liaise with our hosts to maintain communication and ensure their support for future improvements.”
In addition to the technical discussions, the delegation gained further valuable insights during a tour of the Innovation Campus Lemgo. The guests were particularly impressed by the Future Food Factory and the state-of-the-art laboratories for biotechnology, microbiology and chemistry.
Hellen Magige, a laboratory technologist at USIU, summarized her impressions: “It was extremely interesting, educational and informative. We have learned far more than we had expected. We will definitely incorporate this knowledge into our work, especially in the training of our students. We will show them how modern technology is used in the pharmaceutical industry.”
The TH OWL is continuously expanding its international cooperation and scientific presence. The two-day exchange with the USIU delegation is an important step in strengthening knowledge transfer between Europe and Africa and developing innovative concepts for pharmaceutical education.
