Award of the Hermann Weber Scholarship 2023

Willis Awandu comes from western Kenya. His very good performance was already noticeable at primary school; at secondary school he then achieved an above-average grade and was able to take up a Bachelor's degree in civil engineering at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). There he became actively involved in the Catholic student community, so that the Society of KASEA (SoK) became aware of him and - made possible by donations from KAAD alumni in Kenya - sponsored him as one of the first so-called 'SoK scholarship holders'. Willis Awandu subsequently became an ambassador for the SoK scholarship programme and, in this capacity, took part in events organised by the KAAD Association of Scholars in East Africa.

In 2015, Willis Awandu received a KAAD scholarship to study for a Master's degree in water management at the University of Stuttgart. After returning to Kenya, he initially worked for a company in the field of hydraulic engineering. Since March 2020, he has been a lecturer at the state-run Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology in Kakamega. He is also a very active member of KASEA, where he has been a member of the management team since 2022. He is also part of the new scholarship holders' association KASEA Western Kenya Group. 

In spring 2022, Willis Awandu was once again accepted for KAAD funding to take up a doctorate at the Technical University of Darmstadt on the topic of "Development of an integrated energy-autonomous water treatment system for developing countries - case study for rural areas of Kenya".

With Willis Awandu, the Hermann Weber Scholarship is being awarded to a young scientist who has fought hard for his academic success through his enthusiasm, high motivation and expertise.