The 2015 winner of the international DAAD Jakob-und-Wilhelm Grimm Förderpreis award is Dr. James Meja Ikobwa from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. Dr. Ikobwa is the German Studies lecturer at Strathmore Universities. Having taught German for roughly 10years, Dr. Ikobwa is elated for this recognition. At Strathmore, he has been teaching the subject for about five years. He has studied German in his undergraduate, Masters and PhD level.

 

The Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm Prize is the highest international German Studies awards which was founded in 1995 awarded to the very senior scholars in this field. In 2011, the award was introduced for upcoming outstanding young researchers who have visibly contributed greatly towards the promotion of German abroad through research, teaching and publication in the fields of language, literature and culture. To be a nominated, nominees are secretly picked based on PhDs received.  This is the first time the award is being given to an African, something that Dr. Ikobwa holds to heart. It’s a great achievement.

 

Dr. Ikobwa has been involved in teaching German studies to several universities in Kenya, including Strathmore; he has also conducted quality control for external universities from other countries; he has also been involved in producing 4 publications, conducting 3 book reviews, and presenting at several international conferences.

 

Dr. Ikobwa will formally receive the award during this year’s International Congress of German Studies to be held in Shangai – China, at the end of August 2015. The award, the highest recognition in the field of German Studies, comprises of a monetary prize amounting to 3000 Euros and a fully funded one month research stay in Germany. He will also attend the Shangai congress for free for the seven days. Above all, he’s delighted for the recognition that has come with this award.

 

Dr. Ikobwa is married and is a father of two 15 and 11 year old children, with another baby on the way. His advice to students wondering on whether they should take up linguistics, “the trend nowadays is that foreign languages are studied to add value to whatever one is doing or aspiring to do. For those interested in studying pure linguistics and languages, they should go for it opportunities are there.”

 

Herzlichen glückwunsch Dr. Ikobwa.

 

Dr. Ikobwa’s work is as listed below;

PUBLICATIONS

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Ikobwa, James Meja. 2014. Geschichte und ‚Geschichten‘ in Uwe Timms Morenga. In: Mayanja, Shaban & Hamann, Eva (ed.). Schwerpunkte der DaF-Studiengänge und Germanistik im östlichen Afrika. Materialien Deutsch als Fremdsprache Band 91. Göttingen: Universitätsverlag Göttingen. 43-60.

 

Augart, Julia & Ikobwa, Meja J. 2013. (Ost)afrikanische Germanistik: Entstehung und Entwicklung von Deutsch in Kenia. In: eDUSA 8 (1): 9-31.

 

Ikobwa, James Meja. 2012. David Hohl als Zeuge des Genozids in Ruanda in Lukas Bärfuss’ „Hundert Tage“. In: Jahrbuch für Internationale Germanistik. Reihe A: Kongressberichte. Bd. 108: 107-117.

 

Ikobwa, J.M. 2005.  Opinion Shaping in the Kenyan and German Press:  A Comparative Analysis of Political Caricature. In: Müller, Elisabeth & Bett, Ruth (ed.). Across Borders:  Benefiting from Cultural Differences.  Nairobi: DAAD Africa. 400-410.

 

Book Reviews

 

Martin Horváth: Mohr im Hemd oder Wie ich auszog, die Welt zu retten. Roman. München: Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, 2012. Ikobwa (2012): Book review for the Project Schreiben über Afrika. Goethe Institut, South Africa.

 

Wolfgang Herrndorf: Sand. Roman. Berlin: Rowohlt, 2011. Ikobwa (2012): Book review for the Project Schreiben über Afrika. Goethe Institut, South Africa.

 

Daniel Goetsch: Ben Kader. Roman. Zürich: Bilgerverlag, 2006. Ikobwa (2012). Book review for the Project Schreiben über Afrika. Goethe Institut, South Africa.

 

Selected Presentations at International Conferences

 

Language politics and policies in postcolonial Africa. Paper presented during the 1st international Workshop of the German-African Network of Alumni and Alumnae (ganaa) at the University of Leipzig, Germany. 4^th – 7^th February, 2008.

 

Das Projekt DaF an kenianischen Hochschulen: Wachstumshemmungen und Interventionen. Paper presented during the 2nd international Workshop of the German-African Network of Alumni and Alumnae (ganaa) at the University of Oran, Algeria. 10 – 15 October 2008.

 

Die Stellung der einheimischen Sprachen gegenüber Fremdsprachen in Kenia. Paper presented during the 3rd international Workshop of the German-African Network of Alumni and Alumnae (ganaa) at the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa. 31 March – 4^th April 2009.

 

David Hohl als Zeuge des Genozids in Ruanda in Lukas Bärfuss’ ‚Hundert Tage‘. Paper presented at the 25^th Workshop of the Association of German Studies of Southern Africa (SAGV), University of Pretoria, 27th – 30th April 2011.

 

Investigating the Role of Alternative Language Schools in the Promotion of Local Languages in Kenya. Paper presented during the 6th international Workshop of the German-African Network of Alumni and Alumnae (ganaa) at the University of Leipzig, Germany. 29^th August – 3^rd September 2011.

 

Gedächtnis und Genozid im zeitgenössischen deutschsprachigen historischen Afrika-Roman. Poster presentation at the DAAD conference of German Studies in Sub-Saharan Africa: Deutsche Sprache und Kultur im afrikanischen Kontext, held at Stellenbosch University. 25th – 29th March 2012.