Federal Cross of Merit for KAAD Alumnus Dr Ralph Nyadu-Addo

As a Senior Lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi, Dr Ralph Nyadu-Addo has been shaping academic cooperation between Ghana and Germany for many years and has been a member of the KAAD partner committee in Ghana since 2010.

At KNUST, he has provided decisive impetus for combining research, innovation and social responsibility. He was instrumental in setting up the Center for Business Development, the Kumasi Business Incubator and the Office for Industrial and Professional Relations. Through these institutions, numerous funds were raised, the start-up culture was strengthened and new employment opportunities were created.

In close cooperation with German universities – including the University of Leipzig, the Technical University of Munich and the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences – Ralph Nyadu-Addo contributed to the establishment of joint programs that promote scientific exchange and practice-oriented training. Projects such as the African German Entrepreneurship Academy (AGEA) and the African Center for Career Enhancement and Skills Support (ACCESS) create concrete prospects for students, researchers and start-ups and contribute to sustainable development through academic partnerships.

Ralph Nyadu-Addo was funded by KAAD for the Small Enterprise Promotion and Training (SEPT MBA) master's program and for his doctorate at the University of Leipzig. This funding shaped his academic career and enabled him to establish long-term academic networks in Germany. He repeatedly emphasizes that the scholarships were the essential basis for his later commitment and the merits for which he has now been honored.

In addition to his academic work, Ralph Nyadu-Addo has been involved for many years in the KAAD alumni network KASWA (KAAD Association of Scholars from West Africa), which he has shaped as its long-standing director. With great voluntary commitment, he promotes the dialog between Ghana and Germany, accompanies alumni initiatives and supports the development of new collaborations. The German Embassy in Accra also praised this commitment as outstanding and based on public spirit.

Ralph Nyadu-Addo received the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany at a ceremony in the residence of the German ambassador in Accra. Federal President Steinmeier praised him as a "pioneer of German-Ghanaian friendship, a mediator and bridge-builder who creates trust and connects people". In his speech, he emphasized that Ralph Nyadu-Addo had "inspired students, promoted exchange and built partnerships over two decades" – a work that exemplifies the power of personal commitment and educational cooperation.

In addition to Ralph Nyadu-Addo, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, former national soccer player Gerald Asamoah and Martin Wilde were also honoured. The latter is in close contact with the KAAD and its alumni. In cooperation with the KAAD, he initiated several scholarship projects to support specialist staff at vocational schools and colleges. Through his mediation, another KAAD alumna, Dr Eva Akanchalabey, was invited to the Federal President's reception.

KAAD warmly congratulates Dr Ralph Nyadu-Addo, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, Gerald Asamoah and Martin Wilde on receiving this award.