Story by Memory Chamisa
AFRICA University and the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health have signed a partnership aimed at enhancing food security, sustainable agrifood systems, and environmental resilience throughout Africa. The collaboration was announced at the World Food Forum held at the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) headquarters in Rome, Italy.
As part of this initiative, the two institutions will introduce a Master of Science degree programme focused on Food Security and Sustainable Agrifood Systems. The programme, launched by FAO Director-General QU Dongyu, aims to promote sustainable development across Africa and beyond through innovation, research, and capacity building in critical areas such as food security, agrifood systems, water management, environmental sustainability, and health.
Africa University Vice Chancellor Professor Peter Mageto noted the significance of the partnership in promoting North to South, knowledge exchange and inclusivity in agricultural transformation.
“This partnership is going to reinforce AU and UNU-INWEH’s shared commitment to education and research for sustainable development, in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and African Union Agenda 2063. We are also looking forward to interdisciplinary and applied learning, building regional and global expertise in food security, agrifood systems, and environmental sustainability. Not only will it strengthen international academic collaboration, but it will also see to the alignment of both institutions with global standards, co-supervision, and innovation-driven postgraduate education. We are grateful to the government for supporting our efforts in research on agro systems, climate resilience, and data-driven solutions,” he said.
United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health Professor Kavah Madani, Director, highlighted the impact of the collaboration.
“We are proud to announce a new collaboration between Africa University Zimbabwe and the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), formalised through an MoU signed at the FAO headquarters in Rome. This partnership brings together Africa University’s pan-African leadership and UNU-INWEH’s global expertise to advance research, education, and innovation in food security, sustainable agrifood systems, and environmental resilience. A key outcome of the partnership is the new Joint MSc in Food Security and Sustainable Agrifood Systems, developed with the support of FAO. The 18-month programme will train the next generation of leaders and innovators driving sustainable transformation across Africa and beyond,” he noted.
UN University is an international community of scholars, acting as a bridge between the UN and the international academic community, particularly in developing countries.
