As the academic delegation from the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) prepares to return to Nigeria, the strengthening partnership with the University of Bonn marks a significant milestone in the two institutions’ shared commitment to global academic excellence.
The University of Bonn, formally known as the Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn (German: Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn), stands as one of Germany’s foremost centres of learning and research. Founded on 18 October 1818, it holds the distinguished status of being one of only eleven German Universities of Excellence. Notably, it boasts six Clusters of Excellence, more than any other institution in the country, underscoring its leading role in pioneering research and innovation.
Equally respected on the African continent, the University of Port Harcourt is situated in Choba, Rivers State, Nigeria. Founded in 1975 as University College, Port Harcourt, it achieved full university status in 1977. In July 2021, Professor Owunari Abraham Georgewill was appointed substantive Vice-Chancellor, ushering in a new era marked by accelerated academic development and expanding international engagement.
During the visit to Germany, both institutions deepened their collaborative ties through intensive dialogue, mutual planning, and a shared vision to establish a Centre focused on joint academic research, graduate training, and transcontinental knowledge exchange.
Collaboration talks in progress as representatives of the University of Bonn, Germany, and the University of Port Harcourt dialogue.
Third from the left-hand side – Professor Owunari Abraham Georgewill, 9th Vice Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
Second from Left-hand Side – Prof. Dr. Uwe Baumann Steering Committee TRA Present Past of Antiquity, Communication, Dependency, Early Modern Age, Power and Domination.
First from the right-hand side – Professor Chioma Daisy Onyige, Professor of Criminology, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
Bonn representative presenting a painting of the University of BONN to the Vice Chancellor of the University of Portharcourt.
In a separate image shared with correspondence, a signpost was seen displaying the University of Port Harcourt logo alongside the text “Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg” (H-BRS), officially known as the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, a public university founded in 1995. As a University of Applied Sciences, H-BRS is intensively involved in practical research. The image visibly reflects the inclusion of the University of Port Harcourt within the institutional framework of H-BRS.
