Mekelle–Erfurt Research Cooperation Initiative (MERCI)

Since January 2026, the Gerda Henkel Foundation has been funding the two-year MERCI project (Mekelle–Erfurt Research Cooperation Initiative), which aims to resume and expand academic cooperation between the University of Erfurt and Mekelle University – particularly with the Department of History and Cultural Studies – following the war in Tigray (Ethiopia). Building on existing collaborations and the “Rescue Initiative (ReScholarGE)”, which enabled six Ethiopian scholars to complete their doctorates at the University of Erfurt, the exchange of researchers and doctoral candidates is to be resumed through joint research groups, workshops, and summer schools – with a focus on the Perthes Collection (Gotha Research Library). In this context, efforts are also being made to establish a teaching partnership, particularly within the master’s and doctoral programs in Mekelle.

_{Bild: Statue auf dem Adi-Haqi Campus der Mekelle University © Peter Nadig}