Science in the service of peace: Giessen delegation in Mozambique!

Science in the service of peace: Giessen delegation in Mozambique!

On August 12, 2025, a reception took place at the Ministry of Science in Maputo, Mozambique, attended by high-ranking representatives from the Justus Liebig University of Giessen (JLU) and the Instituto CAPAZ. Among those present were Paula Ortega, Prof. Ingrid Miethe, Prof. Stefan Peters, Ronald A. Münch, the German Ambassador to Mozambique, and Edson da Graça Macuacua, State Secretary for Science and Higher Education. Other personalities from science and society were also present.

The delegation led by Prof. Dr. Stefan Peters, Professor of International Relations and Peace Research at JLU, traveled to Mozambique to promote scientific cooperation. This commitment aims to support peace, sustainable development and social inclusion in a country marked by violent conflict and peace processes since its independence from Portugal in 1975.

Cooperation discussions with universities

As part of this delegation trip, discussions took place with representatives from six universities in the cities of Maputo and Nampula. These included, among others, the Universidade Pedagógica de Maputo, the Universidade Eduardo Mondlane and the Universidade Católica de Moçambique. These discussions were organized in collaboration with the German Embassy in Mozambique and the Universidade Pedagógica de Maputo.

A central topic of the discussion was the exchange about the work of the Instituto CAPAZ, which has served as a model for peace research and conflict resolution since it opened in 2017. It supports the peace process in Colombia and has established itself as a link between scientists and universities from Colombia and Germany. Loud DAAD The aim of the CAPAZ Institute is to coordinate educational offerings and research projects, to support the government and civil society in the peace process and to act as a research, study and advisory institution.

During the reception, State Secretary Macuacua signaled support for this cooperation in the field of peace. The Mozambican partners showed great interest in the approaches and work of the Instituto CAPAZ, which underlined the positive mood during the negotiations.

Goals and future steps

Prof. Peters emphasized that deepening cooperation in the interests of sustainable peace work should be of interest to the Federal Government. The next steps include evaluating the collected results, developing concrete project ideas and applying for funding.

It is particularly important to take into account issues such as linguistic diversity, religion, natural resources and the young population structure in Mozambique. These aspects have a significant impact on peace research in the region and form the basis for future cooperation.

Overall, trilateral cooperation between the institutions involved could take science diplomacy in peace research to a new level. The approach of leveraging the expertise of Instituto CAPAZ could be the key to successful scientific exchange and sustainable development in Mozambique and beyond. The Instituto CAPAZ is supported by the DAAD and other third-party funds, while the JLU is in charge of the project and consortium management.