NAIROBI, June 29 (IPS) – A team of universities, led by Addis Ababa University, has joined forces to implement a four-year Intra-Africa academic mobility project aimed at strengthening agroforestry research and education for climate change mitigation.
The project, dubbed Strengthening Agroforestry Research and Education for Climate Change Mitigation in Africa (SERA), brings together JKUAT (Kenya) and Addis Ababa University (Ethiopia) as coordinators; Chinhoyi University of Technology (Zimbabwe), University of Juba (South Sudan) and National University of Agriculture (Benin) in a joint effort to strengthen agroforestry education, research capacity, and academic collaboration across East, West, and Southern Africa.
The project is expected to see the academic mobility and training of 30 MSc students, 10 PhD students, 14 trainees, and 11 academic staff through degree mobility, short-term credit mobility, joint supervision, and research exchanges. Partner institutions will also collaborate to review and harmonise their curricula on agroforestry.
According to Dr Anagaw Atickem, project coordinator, Addis Ababa University, the individual university participants are tasked with contributing to the priorities of the Intra-Africa Academic Mobility Scheme, which include the promotion of inclusive learning mobility opportunities, with a focus on the participation of women and on climate change; increasing the employability and entrepreneurship of higher education students and trainees, specifically in green jobs; and improving the quality, relevance, internationalisation and climate change focus of higher education in Africa.
‘’This project will support academic mobility and training for MSc students, PhD students, trainees, and academic staff through degree mobility, short-term credit mobility, joint supervision, and research exchanges across the five partner universities,’’ Atickem told IPS.
“We look forward to reviewing and, where possible, harmonising curricula on agroforestry across the participating institutions. We hope this will allow for credit transfer among partner institutions and also sharing of infrastructure,” said Atickem.
The partner institutions will take up roles that are closely aligned with the project’s objectives of promoting academic mobility, strengthening curricula, and advancing collaborative research. In this regard they will coordinate student, trainee, and staff mobility; provide postgraduate supervision and contribute to joint research and publications; review and strengthen relevant curricula; support training activities; contribute to policy dialogue and multi-stakeholder engagement and organise and participate in dissemination and communication activities (e.g., workshops, conferences, publications, and social media).
Agroforestry is widely recognised as a powerful strategy for addressing multiple environmental and socio-economic challenges, including climate change, biodiversity conservation, land restoration, and improved food and nutrition security.
It is of key importance in the national development priorities of the five participating countries. In Kenya, agroforestry is an important strategy under the country’s climate commitments, particularly within the Kenya Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP).
Dr Shem Kuyah, a Senior Lecturer from the department of Botany JKUAT and one of Kenya’s leading researchers in Agroforestry says, “Agroforestry has received much attention globally and in Africa because of its multiple benefits that help address the current challenges of climate change, land use and livelihoods.”
‘’It has both protective and productive benefits, which allow land users/practitioners to fight environmental challenges without sacrificing or forfeiting their livelihoods. Currently, the challenges of climate change, land use change and changing livelihoods require strategies that are multifunctional and this makes agroforestry very important, as it is multifunctional,” Kuyah said.
He explained that the challenge of climate change is made complex by changing land use and livelihoods and requires both adaptation and mitigation measures and it is necessary to cut emissions in large quantities and enhance carbon storage on a large scale.
“In terms of mitigation, agroforestry helps to store large amounts of carbon compared to crop monocultures and can be used to reduce nitrous oxide emissions in crop production where fertiliser trees are used to improve soil fertility or to reduce methane emissions in silvopasture systems,” said Kuyah.
Silvopasture is an agroforestry practice that intentionally integrates trees, forage, and livestock on the same land to create a mutually beneficial ecosystem.
“The Kenya National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP) 2018–2022 prioritised agroforestry as a strategy for cropland restoration, with an estimated mitigation potential of 4.16 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030,’’ Kuyah said.
On the adaptation front, Kuyah said that there is a need to create resilient production systems that can withstand climate shocks and provide safety nets for vulnerable communities.
“Agroforestry is one of the nature-based solutions and has been shown to help restore soil fertility, regulate microclimate (temperatures, wind speed, and humidity) and regulate soil moisture, which are key drivers of crop production.”
“Positive changes in these factors have been shown to increase crop yield across sub-Saharan Africa. There are also communities where agroforestry serves as a safety net, providing food, fodder, fuel and income in times of want,’’ he stated.
This makes SERA an important initiative for climate change mitigation and sustainable development, especially in Africa.
Kuyah added that the students partaking in the project will also benefit from an existing partnership between JKUAT and international research organisations, such as the Centre for International Forestry Research (ICRAF), which has a long-term collaboration with JKUAT on agroforestry, and national research institutions such as the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) and the Coffee Research Foundation.
‘’We will collaborate with partners to strengthen students’ research capacities through targeted skills development. We plan to conduct hands-on training in GIS and remote sensing, data management and analysis, communication of research findings, and synthesis methodologies, such as systematic reviews and meta-analysis.
“And student mobility at JKUAT will be implemented through a new MSc programme called ‘MSc in Biodiversity Conservation and Management’ and the PhD in Plant Science,” Kuyah concluded.
With funding from the European commission, the SERA project will help contribute to the training of a new generation of African scientists and professionals equipped to advance climate-resilient land-use systems and sustainable agricultural landscapes.
The first cohort of masters and PhD students at JKUAT is expected to begin in September 2026.
IPS UN Bureau Report
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