Maputo, Mozambique – A pivotal symposium was recently held at the University of Eduardo Mondlane (UEM) in Mozambique’s capital, Maputo, to address the urgent need to strengthen PhD programmes and research collaborations aimed at tackling escalating food insecurity exacerbated by climate change.
The event which was organised by the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) – the Regional Coordination Unit for the Africa Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund for Applied Sciences, Engineering, and Technology (Rsif) – in collaboration with UEM’s African Centre of Excellence in Agri-Food Systems and Nutrition, brought together leading scholars, researchers and policy makers across Africa.
Themed “Building Resilient Agrifood Systems and Climate Action in Mozambique,” the symposium convened academics and researchers from Mozambique and Rsif African Host Universities (AHUs) with PhD programmes in food security – Sokoine University of Agriculture ( Tanzania), University of Ghana (Ghana), Makerere University (Uganda), and Haramaya University (Ethiopia) – to collectively share climate mitigation and adaptation strategies to improve food production, pest control, and environmental sustainability. Rsif has enrolled 282 PhD students since 2018 in 15 AHUs, with 33.69 % undertaking PhD studies in food security and climate change.
With a report from Food and Agriculture Organisation raising a red flag that over 282 million people across Africa are facing food insecurity, worsened by climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, initiatives like Rsif play an important role in building resilient agrifood systems and addressing Africa’s skills gap in agriculture and climate science.
Keynote Insights and Future Directions
Dr. Rachida Mamade, Director of the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Higher Education, highlighted that Mozambique’s Government, through the MozSkills project, has pledged substantial resources to PhD training and innovation in agriculture, aiming to foster a skilled workforce capable of driving agricultural transformation.
Dr. Mamade remarked, “The support from Rsif and MozSkills is pivotal in creating sustainable solutions for Mozambique’s future.”
The symposium showcased UEM’s recent PhD programmes, focusing on pest management, microbial contamination in crops, and nutritional enhancements in soybeans and maize – all important for strengthening Mozambique’s agricultural resilience which in turn would boost food security for the citizenry.
On her part, Dr Ana Menezes, from The World Bank hailed the efforts of Rsif and the MozSkills project in advancing doctoral training and research capacity in Mozambique.
“The collaboration between Rsif African Host Universities and Mozambican institutions like the University Eduardo Mondlane is critical for addressing pressing challenges in food security and climate resilience. By working together, we can build stronger research ecosystems that not only benefit Mozambique but also contribute to sustainable development across Africa,” Dr Menezes said.
Dr Julius Ecuru, Manager, Research and Innovation Coordination Units at icipe, underscored the crucial role of such partnerships in equipping students with the skills needed to become independent scientists who contribute to their countries’ development. “With access to top facilities and diverse academic cultures, our students are globally competitive and can make significant contributions upon returning home,” Dr Ecuru stated.
The participants at the symposium also pointed out critical challenges in PhD training, including delayed graduation due to weak student- supervisor relationships, weak mentorship, low employability of PhD graduates and few post-doctoral programmes.
In tackling the challenges mentioned, the symposium participants proposed various recommendations to establish capacity building workshops, continuous mile stone tracking for the purpose of accountability and supervisor seminars to improve PhD completion timeline.
Besides a proposal to buttress university incubation centres to help PhD students commercialize their research, employers were also urged to recognize the diverse skillset PhD graduates have. Furthermore, participants highlighted the need for dedicated resources to establish postdoctoral and mentorship programmes and emphasized the importance of enhancing student and faculty mobility through international research collaborations.
The symposium discussed and agreed to work together to address challenges in fostering research collaboration, particularly poor research infrastructure and the weak link between research and industry needs. Universities were urged to allocate more funds to improve research facilities and leverage development grants to procure essential equipment. It was recommended that PhD programmes aim to solve real-world industry problems, with curricula updated to align with industry demands. Strengthening partnerships with industry and technical vocational institutes (TVETs) was also emphasized to enhance mentorship and provide PhD students with access to specialised resources and equipment.
Looking Ahead
The symposium set a strong foundation for continued collaboration between Rsif AHUs and UEM, aiming to grow this into a formidable network of African universities with globally recognised PhD programmes in agricultural and food systems and climate action.
The event provided a clear roadmap for strengthening doctoral training and promoting regional cooperation to build resilient agrifood systems in the face of growing climate adversity.
