The African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) convened a three-day Early-Career Researchers (ECR) Workshop last week, bringing together early-career scholars and experienced facilitators from across the continent to strengthen research capacity, mentorship, and collaboration among Africa’s next generation of research leaders.
The African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) convened a well-attended Information Webinar on the Early-Career Research (ECR) Fellowships, bringing together early-career researchers and research professionals from across Africa and beyond.
ARUA will host an Information Webinar, which is aimed at equipping prospective applicants with the knowledge and guidance needed to prepare competitive and successful applications for the 2026/2027 intake. The Webinar will take place on Friday, January 16, 2026.
The ARUA Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Jane Ambuko as the Director of Research and Training at African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA). Professor Ambuko’s appointment is a result of a competitive recruitment process that followed a call for expressions of interest in the position. She is a Professor of Horticulture from the University of Nairobi with extensive experience in research, training and community engagement.
The University of Mauritius has been admitted as the 21st full member of the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA). The decision follows a review of the university’s progress on key performance benchmarks set by the ARUA Board, which expressed satisfaction with the strides made in strengthening research, innovation, and institutional capacity.
Professor Firibu Saalia is a distinguished academic at the University of Ghana, currently serving in the School of Engineering Sciences. He holds a PhD from the University of Georgia and has extensive expertise in Food Science and Technology. Professor Saalia’s research interests encompass food processing, food chemistry, food safety, food toxicology, and nutraceutical properties of foods. He has a notable record of academic leadership, having served as Head of the Department of Food Process Engineering from 2016 to 2021, and holds the prestigious OR Tambo Africa Research Chair in Food Science and Technology. Over his career, he has supervised numerous postgraduate students and published extensively in leading scholarly journals. He is active in community engagement and consults with government agencies on food science issues, also contributing to national and international academic assessments. Professor Saalia’s work advances food safety, quality, and innovation to benefit both Ghana and the broader African continent.
Professor Hulda Shaidi Swai is a Tanzanian nanotechnology scientist and professor at the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST) in Arusha. She holds a PhD in Biomaterials from Queen Mary’s College, University of London, UK. With over 28 years of research experience, Professor Swai is acclaimed for her pioneering work in applied nanomedicine, particularly targeting infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria through innovative drug delivery systems. Before joining NM-AIST in 2015, she was a senior principal researcher at South Africa’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). At NM-AIST, she leads impactful projects including the African Centre for Research, Agricultural Advancement, Teaching Excellence and Sustainability (CREATES), funded by the World Bank. Professor Swai has also served as President of the African Materials Research Society and holds various international advisory roles, contributing significantly to advancing science and technology across Africa through research, training, and collaboration. Her work champions the institutional vision of academia serving society and industry.
Professor Almeida Sitoe is an academic affiliated with Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM), Mozambique’s oldest and largest public university located in Maputo. He specializes in the field of Computer Science, contributing to the university’s mission of advancing scientific knowledge and fostering innovation through rigorous research and education. With a focus on pragmatic problem-solving, Professor Sitoe engages in cutting-edge research and curriculum development that bridges computing theory with practical applications. His work supports UEM’s commitment to training professionals equipped to address societal challenges through technology. Additionally, Professor Sitoe plays a pivotal role in promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and advancing computational sciences in the region, aligning with the university’s vision to be a reference point for scientific excellence in Africa and globally. He is instrumental in nurturing the next generation of computer scientists and engineers, reinforcing Eduardo Mondlane University’s status as a leading institution for computing education and research in Southern Africa.
Professor Gizaw Mengistu Tsidu is an atmospheric physicist and climatologist currently based at the Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST). He holds the O. R. Tambo Africa Research Chair in Climate Change, focusing on adaptation strategies related to water, vegetation, and livestock resources. His research explores atmospheric composition, radiative forcing, greenhouse gases, and climate variability, using advanced remote sensing methods such as Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) to understand environmental change. Professor Tsidu’s work contributes significantly to Africa’s response to climate risks, including droughts and ecosystem degradation. With over two decades of academic experience in Ethiopia and Botswana, he has supervised more than 50 MSc and 10 PhD students. A Humboldt Fellow, he collaborates internationally on air quality and climate science initiatives, advancing data-driven climate modelling and environmental sustainability across the continent.
Professor Oluyemisi Adefunke Bamgbose, SAN, is a Professor of Law at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, currently serving as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research, Innovation, and Strategic Partnerships). She is the first female Professor of Law in Nigeria to be conferred with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 2018, a prestigious honour analogous to the Queen’s or King’s Counsel in the UK. With over thirty-eight years of academic experience, Professor Bamgbose specializes in Criminal Law, Criminology, Juvenile Justice, and Human Rights, focusing particularly on women’s and children’s rights. She has authored more than 125 publications, many cited in courts worldwide, and has supervised over 350 undergraduate and postgraduate students, including eight PhD candidates. She has held key leadership roles such as Dean of the Faculty of Law, Head of Department, Director of the Women’s Law Clinic, and Chairperson of the Nigerian Bar Association Women Forum. She has also served as a Visiting Professor in the US and contributed significantly to legal reform and human rights advocacy nationally and internationally.