ECR

The Africa Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) has highlighted the transformative potential of the Capacity Building and Scientific Impact Tracking System (CB-SITS Africa), a new platform designed to strengthen how research impact is measured and communicated across Africa.

The African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) convened a virtual briefing session on 10 June 2026 for the first batch of Cohort 2 fellows under the ARUA Early Career Researchers (ECR) Fellowship Programme. The session brought together 32 researchers from across Africa who have recently begun their six-month placements at ARUA Centres of Excellence (CoEs) and Africa-Europe Clusters of Research Excellence (CoREs).

ARUA joined fellow partners in Nairobi, Kenya, on 15–16 April 2026 for the CB‑SITS Africa Validation Workshop, convened under the 2026 Annual CB‑SITS Partners’ Meeting hosted by the Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA). The workshop formed part of a Carnegie Corporation of New York‑supported initiative to build a comprehensive, digital Capacity Building and Scientific Impact Tracking System for Africa (CB‑SITS Africa).

When African researchers write, Africa should hear it. Yet for many, research still culminates in theses and journal articles that are largely accessed and read only by peers and disciplinary specialists.​ The African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) is determined to change that story by supporting its Early Career Researchers (ECRs) to move from “research done” to “research heard, seen and used.”​

Dr. Steve Ngoy Kabemba is a construction engineer and postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Construction Economics and Management at the University of Cape Town. He holds a PhD in Construction Management from the University of Zambia and recipient of the ARUA Mastercard–Carnegie Early Career Research Fellowship (2025) and Erasmus+ Mobility Grant at Riga Technical University (2023–2024). His research focuses on sustainable construction technologies, alternative building materials, and low-carbon housing. He manages the Journal of Construction Business and Management, lectures, serves on scientific committees, supervises postgraduate students, and engages industry and policymakers on construction innovation and carbon-reduction strategies.

Dr. Susan Kamundia is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the African Centre of Excellence for Inequality Research (ACEIR), University of Cape Town, where she earned her PhD in Economics. She also holds a Master in Economics (Econometrics) and a Bachelor in Economics and Statistics from Kenyatta University, Kenya. Her research focuses on poverty and inequality, particularly multidimensional and asset-based poverty measurement across countries such as Kenya and South Africa. She has worked on spatial economics, maternal and child health, and impact evaluation. Susan has received research grants from the African Economic Research Consortium and ACEIR and was a UNU-WIDER PhD Research Fellow in 2021.

My name is Dr. Toleshi Teshome Ketema. I am a researcher and lecturer at the Chemistry Department and a Postgraduate Program Director at Bonga University, Ethiopia. I graduated from Jimma University by PhD in Analytical Chemistry on July 1, 2024, MSc in Analytical Chemistry from Haramaya University on June 28, 2018 and BSc in Chemistry from Jimma University on June 18, 2016. My research focuses on the synthesis of nanomaterials for diverse applications, particularly in sensing and photocatalysis for applications in agriculture, food safety, and water quality. I have a proven track record of publishing numerous articles in esteemed international and national journals. I am actively involved in the Society for Women and HIV/AIDS in Africa, Ethiopia, where I have successfully conducted training on school-based peer learning related to gender inequalities.

Dr. Tunde Lewis Yusuf is a Lecturer in Inorganic and Materials Chemistry at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. He holds a PhD in Chemistry from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, an MSc (Distinction) from the University of Ibadan, and a BSc (Hons) from the University of Ilorin. His research focuses on nanostructured materials for a sustainable environment. He has published extensively and received competitive grants from the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Water Research Council, and the Medical Research Council. Dr Yusuf leads projects on piezo-photocatalysis, supervises postgraduate students, and engages in collaborative research advancing clean water and energy solutions.

Dr. Williams Appau Miller is a Lecturer at the Department of Real Estate, University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (UBIDS), Wa, Ghana, and a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Lagos, Nigeria. He holds a PhD in Built Environment (Durban University of Technology), MPhil in Development Management (University for Development Studies), MSc in Geo-Information Science (University of Twente), and BSc in Real Estate (University for Development Studies). His research specializes in Sustainable Real Estate and Facilities. A recipient of the ARUA Early-Career Fellowship Award, he is currently working on the integration of Adaptive HVAC Systems in shopping malls.

Dr. Mildred Awuor Airo is a Lecturer and Head of Nanomaterials Research in the Department of Chemistry at Maseno University, Kenya. She holds a PhD in Chemistry from the University of the Witwatersrand and a BSc (Hons) from Egerton University, and has completed three postdoctoral fellowships in South Africa. Her research focuses on functional nanomaterials for renewable energy, environmental sensing, and circular economy applications using biochar-derived materials. She has over 30 peer-reviewed publications (h-index 11), has received international awards from OWSD/TWAS-DFG, NRF South Africa, the Vallee Foundation, and the ARUA–Mastercard–Carnegie ECR Fellowship, and secured grants from Afretech–Carnegie Mellon, the Royal Society of Chemistry, and PHC France–Kenya Pamoja. She is an active STEM and DEI advocate, mentoring young scientists, bridging gender gaps through workshops and outreach, and consulting with Angaza Africa and E-Safiri.