Osun State University (UNIOSUN) has announced its selection as one of the four institutional beneficiaries of a prestigious German Research Foundation (DFG) grant. This announcement was made in a statement released by the University's Public Relations Officer, Ademola Adesoji, on Tuesday, 16th July 2024.

The statement revealed that the grant focuses on exploring the role of social identities in inter-religious arrangements across sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting UNIOSUN's growing reputation as a hub for innovative and collaborative research.

“This two-year, transcontinental research collaboration involves esteemed institutions including the University of Münster, (Germany), the University of Birmingham, (U.K.) École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS), the University of Gaston Berger, and Makerere University, Uganda. This partnership will lay the groundwork for future large-scale joint research endeavors and provide mentorship opportunities for early career scholars from the participating universities,” Adesoji remarked.

The research consortium is led by Prof. Dorothea Schulz of the University of Münster, Germany, and includes notable partners such as Prof. Insa Nolte from the University of Birmingham, Prof. Olukoya Ogen from Osun State University, Prof. Marie Miran from EHESS, Dr. Abdourahmeh Seck from the University of Gaston Berger, and Dr. Kasule Joseph from Makerere University. Key components of the research project include:

1. Establishing a transcontinental scholarly exchange mechanism with a project database and shared literature among the institutions.
2. Organizing two international workshops in Nigeria and Uganda, and a conference in Münster, Germany.
3. Hosting a one-month Visiting Fellowship at the University of Münster for Prof. Olukoya Ogen, Dr. Kasule Joseph, Prof. Insa Nolte, and Prof. Marie Miran, during which they will deliver public lectures, participate in workshops and seminars, and co-author two joint research publications.
4. Promoting knowledge co-production between African and European scholars and bridging the language divide between Anglophone and Francophone Africa.

The statement also revealed that the grant is part of the larger 2019-2025 DFG-funded "Religion and Politics Cluster of Excellence" research grant hosted at the University of Münster, valued at €31 million. The project involves 140 researchers from 10 countries and over 20 disciplines within the humanities and social sciences, focusing on the influence of religion as a catalyst for political and social change globally.