Alumni Portraits

The associations and local groups of former scholarship holders in their home countries serve to strengthen the church's presence in the respective society. The educational work of the KAAD continues in them, as does academic exchange. They can also form the basis for joint (socially orientated) projects. For the KAAD itself, they are an invaluable help in counselling and preparing scholarship applicants and in reintegrating returning scholarship holders in their home countries.

The KAAD Network Worldwide

Alumni Brochure

Kenya

Constansia Mumma

Peace and conflict researcher Dr Constansia Mumma-Martinon from Kenya is a lecturer at the University of Nairobi and is involved in reconciliation work in her home country.

Armenia

Aram Simonyan

Aram Simonyan is Associate Professor at theInternational Scientific Education Centre of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia.

Guatemala

M. Lemus / L. González

The psychologist Melissa A. Lemus García and communication scientist Leonor L. González Quiñónez co-designed the Master's degree programme in Social Pedagogy at the University of Rafael Landívar.

Gaza / Palestinian Territories

Abed Shokry

During his studies in biomedical engineering at the Technical University of Berlin, Professor Abed Schokry attracted attention in the Catholic student community through his great commitment to Christian-Islamic dialogue and his social engagement.

Ethiopia

Mekdem Tesfamichael

Psychologist Dr Mekdem Tesfamichael Hassen is involved in setting up a counselling centre in Addis Ababa to help people with trauma, substance use and other everyday stressors. She is also a member of our partner committee in Ethiopia.

Bolivia

Franz Peter Freudenthal

Dr Franz Peter Freudenthal specialised in paediatric cardiology with a KAAD scholarship at theRheinisch Westfälisch Technische Universität Aachen. There he achieved a breakthrough in medical technology that has saved the lives of more than 50,000 children to date.

Argentina

Ana María Bonet

The lawyer Dr Ana María Bonet is an integrative figure in our Latin American network who is committed to making knowledge accessible. She is also instrumental in setting up various alumni groups.

Ethiopia

Elias Lewi Teklemariam

Geophysicist Dr Elias Lewi Teklemariam had excellent prospects of a career in Europe or North America after completing his doctorate at the Technical University of Darmstadt. Nevertheless, he returned to Ethiopia in 2005.

Philippines

Trinnah Marie Caracho

The social scientist Trinnah Marie Caracho has focused her academic studies on communication, public policy and development and is coordinator for volunteer programmes at Habitat for Humanity International.

Israel

Maysoon Kheir

Peace and conflict researcher Maysoon Kheir is the national coordinator of a project in Jerusalem dedicated to the weakest of the weak: people with disabilities.

Vietnam

Diep Anh Tran

Dr Diep Anh Tran is developing technical solutions to provide people in northern Vietnam and similar regions with decentralised access to drinking water.

Armenia

Narine Ghazaryan

Biophysicist Dr Narine Ghazaryan is Deputy Director of the Hematology Center After Prof. R. Yeolan and is one of the leading cancer researchers in Armenia.

Syria

Rimon Wehbi

Rimon Wehbi

Rimon Wehbi comes from Maalula, a Christian village in Syria and one of the last places in the world where Western Aramaic is still spoken, the 'lingua franca' of the Middle East, in which Jesus also preached.

Guatemala

Jeniffer Elena Montes Murcia

Jeniffer Elena Montes Murcia

After completing her Master's degree in Monumental Heritage, Jeniffer Elena Montes Murcia is now employed by the Guatemalan government's Ministry of Culture and heads the World Heritage Department.

Vietnam

Thái Huỳnh Anh Chi

Dr Thái Huỳnh Anh Chi is a social scientist and human geographer and works as a lecturer in social sciences at the Open University in Ho Chi Minh City.

Kenya

Eddy Okoth Odari

In his research, virologist Dr Eddy Okoth Odari focused primarily on the development of simple testing options for HIV – a very important project for use in Africa.

India

Babu Thaliath

Babu Thaliath

The Germanist and philosopher Professor Babu Thaliath devotes his research to epistemology and aesthetics. He teaches at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi.

Armenia

Eduard Saroyan

Eduard Saroyan

Eduard Saroyan plays a key role in the work of our partner committee in Armenia and was honoured with the KAAD's "Bene Merenti" Medal in 2018 for his ongoing commitment.

Lebanon

Souad Slim

Prof. Dr. Souad Slim

Professor Souad Slim has been a committed member of the Lebanese KAAD partner committee for more than twenty years. Both with her profession and with her KAAD commitment, she contributes to giving the young generation in the Middle East a future and counteracting the brain drain.

Brazil

Fabiana Faleiros

The nursing and rehabilitation scientist Professor Fabiana Faleiros can look back on an impressive career since her return to Brazil. She is now a professor at the prestigious Faculty of Nursing Sciences at the University of São Paulo in Ribeirão Preto.

Kenya

Selasi Awusi Sosu

Selasi Awusi Sosu

Selasi Awusi Sosu from the renowned Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana made a name for herself primarily as a freelance artist. She was able to exhibit her critical works at the 58th Biennale under the motto "May you live in interesting times".

Zimbabwe

Georgina Maxim

Together with her husband, KAAD alumnus Misheck Masamvu,Georgina Maxim founded the Village Unhu centre, a collective for the promotion of young artists that has had a lively and lasting impact on Zimbabwe's art scene in recent years.

Czech Republic

Pavel Blažek

Pavel Blažek works as a research associate at the Institute of Philosophy of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. He is our most important contact person in the Czech Republic and was awarded the KAAD's Bene Merenti Medal for this in 2018.

Egypt

Michael Ghattas

Michael Ghattas

The renowned Egyptian theologian and musicologist has always had a passion for theology and church music. He was born 65 years ago in Iskanderiyya, Alexandria – a metropolis steeped in history and known for its philosophers and theologians.

Indonesia

Juliana Murniati

Juliana Murniati

An alumna has become a partner. Between 2003 and 2007, she completed her doctorate at the Universities of Jena and Regensburg with the support of KAAD on the topic of "A comparative cultural study on trust building using the example of German and Indonesian working groups".

Mexico

Juan José Tagle Briseño

Juan José Tagle

Juan José Tagle studied the Master's programme "Stage Design - Scenic Space" at the Technical University of Berlin from 2012 to 2014 with the help of a combined scholarship from the state funding organisation FONCA-CONACYT and the KAAD.

Myanmar

Zaw Zen Let

Zaw Zen Let

Zaw Zen Let, born in Mogaung Township, Kachin State, Myanmar, was sponsored by the Bettina Kattermann Foundation for a Master's degree in Public Health at Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand, as part of the KAAD-sponsored scholarship programme.

Uganda

Proscovia Namubiru Ssentamu

Proscovia Namubiru Ssentamu

Proscovia Namubiru Ssentamu is one of many African KAAD scholars who have discovered the University of Bayreuth as an excellent academic centre. The tradition of links to Africa there creates excellent conditions for research on African topics, especially in the social sciences.

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