The inaugural webinar, held on 14 July 2026, was jointly hosted by the ARUA Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Food Systems (ARUA-SFS) at the University of Pretoria and the African Centre of Excellence for Inequality Research (ACEIR) at the University of Cape Town under the theme “Connecting Inequality Research with Food Systems Transformation in Africa.”

Welcoming participants, Prof. Jane Ambuko, ARUA’s Director of Research and Training, described the webinar series as a strategic platform that will bring together researchers from across ARUA’s 13 Centres of Excellence and the 22 Africa-Europe Clusters of Research Excellence to share knowledge, exchange ideas, build interdisciplinary partnerships, and increase the visibility and impact of African scholarship. She emphasised that the initiative goes beyond disseminating research findings—it is intended to catalyse collaborations that result in joint research proposals, publications, policy engagement, and innovative solutions to Africa’s most pressing development challenges.

The webinar attracted researchers (including Early Career Researchers), postgraduate students, and development partners from across the ARUA network. Keynote presentations by Prof. Frans Swanepoel, Director of ARUA-SFS, and Prof. Vimal Ranchhod, Director of ACEIR, set the tone for the Webinar by highlighting their Centres’ research priorities, flagship initiatives, capacity-strengthening programmes, and opportunities for collaboration.

Their overarching presentations highlighted the complementary strengths of the two Centres. While ARUA-SFS is advancing research to transform African food systems for improved food and nutrition security, ACEIR is generating evidence on inequality, labour markets, education, and inclusive development. Together, the two Centres demonstrated that achieving sustainable food systems requires a deeper understanding of the inequalities that influence who has access to productive resources, nutritious diets, economic opportunities, and the benefits of agricultural transformation. Their shared vision underscored the importance of integrating social and economic inclusion into food systems research to deliver equitable and sustainable development outcomes.

The webinar also featured an engaging Early Career Researcher Spotlight Session, where six ARUA ECR Fellows presented research on diverse topics including climate-smart aquaculture, carbon capture technologies, soil nutrient mapping, traditional foods for nutrition security, gender disparities in time use, and inequality in educational achievement. The presentations showcased the quality, diversity, and policy relevance of research being undertaken by the next generation of African scholars while illustrating how their work contributes to the broader research agendas of their respective Centres.

An interactive plenary discussion reinforced the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing interconnected challenges such as food insecurity, climate change, poverty, and inequality. Participants explored opportunities for joint research proposals, researcher mobility, mentorship, and cross-Centre partnerships, reaffirming ARUA’s commitment to building a vibrant and collaborative research ecosystem.

The successful launch of the CoE-Led Webinar Series signals the beginning of an enduring platform for collaboration among ARUA researchers and partners. Through the quarterly series, ARUA will continue to promote dialogue across disciplines, strengthen connections among its Centres of Excellence, and support African-led research that generates evidence, informs policy, and contributes to sustainable development on the continent.

Stay tuned for the next Webinar which will be hosted by the Center of Excellence for Non-Communicable Diseases and the Associated Africa- Europe Cluster of Research Excellence (CoRE) on Non-Communicable Diseases and Multimorbidity.