The future of rural Africa
Against the backdrop of rapidly advancing globalization and the increasingly noticeable consequences of global climate change, the CRC/Transregio 228 ‘Future Rural Africa: Future-making and social-ecological transformation’ is examining how future-oriented processes of agricultural intensification, infrastructure development (such as roads, dams, geothermal power plants) and the expansion of nature conservation zones in rural Africa are being negotiated. In the face of rapid socio-ecological change, how do the seemingly opposing but often interwoven processes of increased land use and the expansion of nature reserves affect food security, social systems and commodity chains?
The researchers, who represent fields including geography, ethnology, the agricultural sciences, sociology, economics, virology and botany, are analyzing how different perceptions about the future are impacting on changes in land use. They are also looking particularly at unforeseeable developments such as droughts, violent conflicts and political crises, which are still posing major problems for planning capability across broad swathes of rural Africa. In geographical terms, their focus lies on parts of eastern and southern Africa.
The DFG will now be continuing to fund CRC-TRR 228, providing around €13.1 million in total over the next four years. Professor Britta Klagge from the Department of Geography at the University of Bonn will be taking over as the project’s speaker in its third funding period, during which it will focus particularly on the role played by financing processes and financing structures as overarching analytical perspectives. This is geared toward gaining a better understanding of the local agency wielded by various actors and of the determining factors for nature conservation, agricultural intensification and infrastructure development. There is also an exhibition project run in collaboration with the Futurium museum in Berlin and African artists, featuring exhibitions in Berlin and at various venues across Africa.
Also involved in the collaborative project are the University of Cologne, the Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies (BICC), the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), the Charité at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, the University of Potsdam and the University of the Western Cape in South Africa as well as numerous other partners in eastern and southern Africa.
The first two funding periods have already produced numerous publications.
To the press release from CRC-TRR 228
Economic perspectives on societal challenges
The successful research work done by CRC-TRR 224 at the Universities of Bonn and Mannheim is likewise being funded for a further four years from January 1, 2026 onward, receiving some €12 million. “I am truly delighted with the DFG’s decision and would like to sincerely thank all colleagues involved for their outstanding commitment in recent years,” says Professor Sven Rady from the University of Bonn, who is taking over as speaker for the CRC from the University of Mannheim’s Professor Volker Nocke on January 1, 2026. “This renewed approval shows that our research agenda not only convinces academically but also addresses socially relevant questions of high topicality. In the coming funding period, our team will continue to work with the same dedication and collaborative spirit – and contribute valuable insights to current economic policy debates.”
Since its establishment in 2018, the CRC TR 224 has examined key social challenges within the fields of equal opportunity, market regulation, and financial market stability. Within the three research areas—“Measures to Promote Equal Opportunities,” “Product Market Regulation” and “Financial Market Policy”—researchers have been analyzing how fair participation in society can be strengthened, how markets should be effectively regulated under digital and global conditions, and how the long-term stability of the financial system can be ensured. The aim is to develop policy-relevant recommendations based on economic research.
The CRC has achieved a high degree of academic visibility over the previous two funding periods, with major contributions from a large number of early-career researchers. The research network research network has successfully aligned its work with current global developments: Political and economic disruptions in recent years were quickly taken up academically and translated into new research projects and policy recommendations.
The upcoming funding phase will build on these achievements. Existing research projects will be continued, as developments in global markets and societal conditions will be analyzed in depth until the end of the funding period in 2029
To the press release from CRC-TRR 224.
