The Technical University of Mombasa (TUM) has hosted a workshop for scores of postgraduate students who aspire to pursue doctoral studies in Germany.

TUM administration organized the workshop together with Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (DAAD) Alumni and the DAAD Regional Office for Africa.

The participants were trained in PhD Proposal Writing whose aim was to equip aspiring researchers with the knowledge and tools necessary to secure competitive doctoral and postdoctoral research opportunities in Germany.

The workshop, held at TUM on Thursday of April 23, 2026, brought together participants from various universities across the country seeking to secure fully funded scholarships and research placements in Germany universities and institutions.

The applicants received practical knowledge on the procedures, requirements, and strategies for applying for the DAAD funded programmes.

DAAD is one of the world’s leading funding organizations for international academic exchange, and offers a wide range of opportunities for individuals seeking to undertake doctoral and postdoctoral research in Germany.

The training was coordinated by Dr Eric Jobunga from the Department of Mathematics and Physics in the School of Pure and Applied Sciences. It was facilitated by TUM DAAD alumni alongside representatives from the DAAD regional office for Africa.

During the workshop participants were taken through the different categories of DAAD scholarships, including Research Grants for Doctoral Programmes in Germany, which offer full funding for up to four years, Bi-nationally Supervised Doctoral Degrees (Sandwich Model) lasting up to 24 months, and short-term research grants ranging from 2 to 12 months.

Facilitators also emphasized the critical components of a successful application, urging applicants to submit well-structured PhD proposals spanning 10–12 pages, accompanied by clear motivation letters, detailed work plans, and comprehensive academic CVs using the Europass format. 

Other requirements highlighted included academic certificates, transcripts, recommendation letters, and formal confirmation of supervision from a Germany professor or admission into a structured PhD programme.

Applicants interested in the sandwich programme were further advised to provide documentation from their local universities, including registration and acceptance letters, as well as confirmation of tuition fee waivers.

The workshop also provided guidance on how to identify and approach potential PhD supervisors in Germany. Participants were trained on writing professional emails that clearly introduce their academic background, research interests, and motivation, while demonstrating alignment with the supervisor’s research area.

Speaking during the workshop, the Dean of the School of Pure and Applied Sciences, Prof Huxley Makonde, who is also a DAAD beneficiary, underscored the importance of ethics in proposal writing.

He cautioned the participants against various forms of plagiarism, including direct plagiarism, self-plagiarism, mosaic plagiarism, poor paraphrasing, and accidental plagiarism pointing out that such practices undermine credibility and damage academic careers.

On the other hand Dr Eric Jobunga delivered a detailed session on PhD proposal writing and the effective use of online research tools advising participants to rely on credible digital resources for literature review, data collection, and reference management. 

He highlighted tools such as Google Scholar, Zotero, Mendeley, Notion, and Grammarly as essential in enhancing research quality and organization.

He further emphasized the importance of using reliable, user-friendly, and secure tools that enhance accuracy and efficiency in research work.

Participants hailed the workshop as both timely and transformative, noting that it has significantly strengthened their ability to navigate the highly competitive DAAD application process.

The TUM DAAD alumni include the Vice Chancellor Professor Laila Abubakar, Prof Josiah Ochieng Odalo, Dr Charles Matoka, Dr Ali Shee, Dr Wanyenda Chilimo, and Dr Faith Ongachi.