Research Ambassadors

  • Research Alumni from all over the World: Our Research Ambassadors

    The network celebrates its 10th anniversary this year!

Details about the Research Ambassador Program

The University of Bremen’s Research Ambassador program is a visionary initiative dedicated to expanding the university's global influence and fostering a dynamic, interconnected research community. Through the program, former international researchers of the University of Bremen act as dedicated representatives who bridge continents, cultures, and academic disciplines. Since 2015, the University of Bremen has appointed thirteen research alumni as Research Ambassadors to promote the university and its research efforts, study fields, activities worldwide – today, ten of them are active within the network. Having been part of the University of Bremen community for a significant time period in the past, naturally, the Ambassadors occupy a great deal of experiences and connections to be shared amongst their current institutions. As researchers with strong and sustainable connections to the University of Bremen, they create a network of knowledge, which ultimately benefits from the groups’ geographic and academic diversity. They facilitate visits and stays of students and researchers alike, while their University of Bremen based host provides local support and integration into the research community.

In sum, the Research Ambassadors serve as representatives of the University of Bremen abroad, acting as liaisons between their home institutions, their respective regions, and its prospective students and researchers.

The Ambassadors are appointed for a period of three years after being formally introduced and proposed. Through an activity protocol involving regular check-ins, the university monitors their engagement and decides whether to extend the appointment. This helps both, the University of Bremen as well as the Research Ambassadors to manage their expectations while also reflecting on the cooperation and possible adjustments. If a Research Ambassador becomes inactive, the university will evaluate their engagement and may appoint new ambassadors to maintain active representation in key regions.

Once a Research Ambassador retires without staying connected to their home institution or is simply unable to continue, a new Ambassador can be appointed. This new Ambassador could also be suggested by the former one to keep the cooperation intact. Naturally, this enables the network to remain lively and grow. The same counts for the host or faculty contact person.

To support the cooperation between the Research Ambassadors and the University of Bremen, several support options are in place. These help the Ambassadors to maintain their connections with the university and promote young researchers. Some key initiatives include:

  • Seniors Bring Juniors”: Ambassadors are enabled to send young researchers to Bremen for a research stay, with travel and accommodation expenses partially covered by the University of Bremen, if possible.
  • Financial support: They can apply for financial support for their travels to the University of Bremen through a yearly demand query organised by the International Office. The financial assistance is dependent on the every-changing university-wide support options and availabilities.
  • Event participation: The Ambassadors are invited to participate in specific events organized by the University of Bremen. In addition, they are included into their former faculty’s activities.
  • Public relations: The role of a Research Ambassador is supported through communication outlet efforts, both in Bremen and their home countries. This includes press releases, local press interviews, information dissemination through newsletters, and sharing information via relevant networks.

By enhancing its international alumni work through the Research Ambassadors, the University of Bremenaims to further internationalize and diversify its network, foster a sense of community, and create stronger social and economic connections with and in other countries. The long-term goal is to establish cooperation contacts abroad and find new partners for joint projects or even new funding sources and joint ventures. By having the Ambassadors actively promoting the University of Bremen worldwide, the university gains increased visibility and recognition in international academic and research communities. Ultimately, this increases the quality of its academic community and enhances the university's reputation as a leading institution committed to global education and research.

The Ambassadors coordinate local alumni groups, organize regular meetings, and act as liaisons for prospective students and researchers. By promoting University of Bremen vacancies within their networks, ambassadors help attract more international students and scientists to the university in turn.

In sum, the University of Bremen benefits from the program through the interrelated conjunction of having the ambassadors promote the university globally while also providing a contact point in Germany for the ambassadors, their students, and academic colleagues. This connection ultimately enriches the university’s cooperation and partnership landscapes.

Research Ambassador Donald Bruce states that the “role is both an honor and a meaningful opportunity” to advance internationalization by connecting global research communities through academic exchange. It allows the Ambassadors to act as bridge-builders, fostering ties between Bremen and their home countries while empowering foreign researchers to feel welcomed and supported in a new environment. Ambassador Enzo Morosini Frazzon adds that the Ambassadors see themselves as “network facilitators,” helping others forge “strong personal and professional connections” that enrich both individual careers and institutional partnerships. They are motivated by the chance to give back to the German academic community, which has shown them “hospitality and friendship,” as Research Ambassador Krishnendu Chakrabarty finds. Enzo Morosini Frazzon summarises that they help position Bremen as a “premier destination” for students and researchers.

Internationalization is at the heart of their mission, as the role is also deeply enriching on a personal level, allowing the Ambassadors to develop invaluable skills in “intercultural communication, networking, and mentorship,” as Enzo Morosini Frazzon mentions, while staying connected to Germany’s research advances, new initiatives, and academic culture to broaden their perspectives, enhance their own research, and help them become more effective educators and global citizens. Many ambassadors cherish the friendships and professional relationships they have built, viewing these connections as mutually beneficial and long-lasting, as Donald Bruce and Krishnendu Chakrabarty emphasize.

The role also carries a sense of legacy and continuity, as the Ambassadors help to ensure that these valuable relationships endure. They see it as their task to advance internationalization further by cultivating sustainable connections, even as they move into emeritus status and/or subsequently pass on the role to a motivated successor. For them, being a Research Ambassador means contributing to a vibrant, global academic community that fosters growth, discovery, and collaboration transcending borders.

Contact

Jana Sievers

Coordination Research Ambassador 

University of Bremen
International Office
Welcome Center
28359 Bremen

Telephone: +49 421 218-60382
Email: jana.sieversprotect me ?!vw.uni-bremenprotect me ?!.de

There are no events in the current view.
© Universität Bremen/ Matej Meza

Contact
accarranzaprotect me ?!enesmorelia.unamprotect me ?!.mx
https://www.enesmorelia.unam.mx/directorio/dra-alejandra-castro-carranza/

Home University/Home Country
National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), ENES Unit Morelia, Mexico

Research Stay at the University of Bremen
01.11.2013 - 31.06.2018

Faculty Contact
Prof. Dr. Jürgen Gutowski
Prof. Dr. Annette Ladstätter-Weißenmayer

 

Contact
mazisandaprotect me ?!gmailprotect me ?!.com 
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8686-6638

Heimatuniversität/ Heimatland
University of Ngaoundéré, Cameroon

Research Stay at the University of Bremen
2012 - 2015: PhD
2016 - 2019: Postdoc
seit 2022: several short-time visits

Faculty Contact
Prof. Dr. Marko Rohlfs
Dr. Ute Meyer

Contact
Krishnendu.Chakrabartyprotect me ?!asuprotect me ?!.edu
https://search.asu.edu/profile/4669916

Home University/Home Country
Arizona State University, USA

Research Stay at the University of Bremen
01.07.2014 - 30.09.2014 (Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung Research Award)

Faculty Contact
Prof. Dr. Rolf Drechsler
 

 

Contact
dtaiweprotect me ?!yahooprotect me ?!.fr
http://www.univ-maroua.cm/en/node/76

Home University/Home Country
University of Maroua, Cameroon

Research Stay at the University of Bremen
Studies, PhD, Postdoc at the University of Bremen; multiple short-term research stays

Faculty Contact
Prof. Dr. Andreas Breiter
Prof. Dr. Bernd Krieg-Brückner

 

© Universität Bremen/ Matej Meza

Contact
enzo.frazzonprotect me ?!gmailprotect me ?!.com
https://deps.ufsc.br/enzo-frazzon/?lang=en

Home University/Home Country
Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil

Research Stays at the University of Bremen
2006 - 2009: PhD
2009 - 2010: Postdoc
Februar 2014: Guest Lecturer
2010 - 2015: Multiple short-term stays

Faculty Contact
Prof. Dr. Michael Freitag

 

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Contact
alex.makuliloprotect me ?!gmailprotect me ?!.com
https://www.out.ac.tz/faculty/prof-alex-b-makulilo/

Home University/Home Country 
Open University of Tanzania, Tanzania

Research Stays at the University of Bremen
2010 - 2012: DAAD scholarship holder
2014 - 2016: Georg-Forster-scholarship with the Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung
2017: Alexander von Humboldt Return Fellowship

Faculty Contact
Prof. Dr. Christoph Schmid

 

Contact
ybmaoprotect me ?!t.shu.eduprotect me ?!.cn
https://shusilc.shu.edu.cn/info/1013/1584.htm

Home University/Home Country 
SILC Business School at Shanghai University, China

Research Stays at the University of Bremen
Master's Degree at the University of Bremen
PhD at the University of Oldenburg
Multiple research stays at the University of Bremen

Faculty Contact
Prof. Dr. Wolfram Elsner

 

© Universität Bremen/ Matej Meza

Contact
andrei.yakovlev1966protect me ?!gmailprotect me ?!.com
https://daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/about/people/andrei-yakovlev

Home University/Home Country
(Higher School of Economics (HSE), Moscow, Russia)
Harvard University: Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies
Freie Universität Berlin

Research Stays at the University of Bremen
2002: Bundeskanzler scholarship
2002 - 2003: Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung
Multiple research stays

Faculty Contact
Prof. Dr. Jutta Günther

 

Contact
fwildersprotect me ?!uciprotect me ?!.edu
https://faculty.uci.edu/profile/?facultyId=5296

Home University/Home Country
University of California, Irvine, USA

Research Stay at the University of Bremen
2013 - 2014: Alexander von Humboldt scholarship

Faculty Contact
Prof. Dr. Sabine Broeck

 

Contact
muellerprotect me ?!uoguelphprotect me ?!.ca
https://www.uoguelph.ca/arts/solal/people/ruediger-mueller-hehim

Home University/Home Country
University of Guelph, Canada

Faculty Contact 
tba

 

© Universität Bremen/ Matej Meza

Contact
rozmaartprotect me ?!gmailprotect me ?!.com
https://rozenamaart.com/

Home University/Home Country
University of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

Research Stay at the University of Bremen
2011, 2012, 2017: Guest Lecturer

Faculty Contact 
Prof. Dr. Kerstin Knopf

 


Our Research Ambassador Emeritus

© Universität Bremen/Matej Meza

Contact
don.bruceprotect me ?!uoguelphprotect me ?!.ca
https://www.uoguelph.ca/arts/solal/people/donald-bruce

Home University/Home Country
University of Guelph, Canada

Research Stay at the University of Bremen
Volkswagen Foundation Fellowship

Faculty Contact
Prof. Dr. Norbert Schaffeld (retired)