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Natural Sciences

Advancing Africa’s Natural Products Industry through Transdisciplinarity

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The 1st International Conference on Reimagining the Natural Products Industry in Africa (RNPIA-2021) under the patronage of Carnegie Corporation of New York through Future Africa, University of Pretoria, South Africa was convened by Dr. Alice Nabatanzi (5th – 7th July, 2021) at Imperial Royale Hotel. This year’s theme is Advancing Africa’s Natural Products Industry through Transdisciplinarity and Sustainable Innovations”.

The conference was presided over by two honourable guests; Hon. Prof. George Mondo Kagonyera, the Chancellor, Kabale University and former Chancellor, Makerere University, and Prof. Cheikh Mbow, Director Future Africa, University of Pretoria.

Hon. Prof. George Mondo Kagonyera addresses the RNPIA-2021 Conference

RNPIA-2021 Official Opening Ceremony

Hon. Prof. Mondo Kagonyera (2nd R) is joined by L-R: Prof. Paul Waako, Dr. Alice Nabatanzi and Prof. John David Kabasa to cut cake during the 1st RNPIA-2021 Conference Opening Ceremony

The conference was graced by the Principal, College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB), Prof. John David Kabasa, the Vice Chancellor Busitema University, Prof. Paul Waako and the Director Natural Chemotherapeutics Research Institute (NCRI), Dr. Grace Nambatya.

The 3-day RNPIA-2021 conference was attended by over 400 online participants from all over the world and 50 physical participants. During the 3 days, a total of 50 presentations (MSc, PhD, Early Career) were made by participants from different universities across Africa. The Keynote speeches were delivered by:

Prof. Namrita Lall, University of Pretoria –Challenges and Coping Strategies faced by Female scientists for STEM Research

Prof. John R. S. Tabuti, Makerere University –Conservation of Traditional Medicines, Contribution of REDD+

Prof. Lyndy McGaw, University of Pretoria –Ethnoveterinary Medicine and an Overview of recent Surveys conducted in South Africa.

Other Guest Speakers included:

Dr. Marco Nuno De Canha, University of Pretoria –Navigating the sea of intellectual property: Technology transfer and patenting innovative ideas

Mr. Mongezi Mabena, South Africa –The Theoretical Framework, Processes and Challenges of Registering a Pharmaceutical Company

Prof. Fredrick Muyodi, Makerere University Fisheries and Aquaculture in the Face of Climate Change

Entrepreneurs in Natural Products from South Africa, Uganda and U.S.A. also showcased their products and gave stories of their entrepreneurial journeys. Representatives from the National Drug Authority (NDA), AFS, THETA were present at the conference.

NDA’s Dr. Brian Sekayombya makes his presentation on the role of the Authority in the promotion of traditional medicines in Uganda.

On the 3rd day of the RNPIA-2021 Conference, the Natural Products Industry Advancement Network Africa (NAPIANA) network was launched. NAPIANA is aimed at bridging the gaps along the Natural Products Value Chain in Africa through transdisciplinarity.

Dr. Alice Nabatanzi gave an overview of the Natural Products Industry in Africa and why the need for NAPIANA

Launching NAPIANA

The conference was officially closed by Dr. Grace Nambatya.

RNPIA-2021 Sponsors

Please click the embedded videos below to view the Conference proceedings

1st RNPIA-2021 Day 1


1st RNPIA-2021 Conference Day 1

1st RNPIA-2021 Day 2


1st RNPIA-2021 Conference Day 2

1st RNPIA-2021 Day 3



Natural Sciences

15 PhD Positions: Human River Systems in the 21st century

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15 New Positions Open in the FWF PhD Program "Human River systems in the 21st century (HR21)". Application Deadline: 2nd April 2024. Austria. Europe

Highly qualified applicants from all over the world are invited to apply for the PhD Program “Human River systems in the 21st century (HR21)”. The 15 positions are fully funded and the Doctoral Programme is providing additional resources for conference presentations, retreats etc.

The 15 PhD research topics are:

  • Topic 1: Role of hydrological extremes (floods) for sediment transport and morphodynamics in the human-river system
  • Topic 2: Material resources demand and flows of hydraulic structures to prevent societal impact of extreme events (social ecology, environmental history)
  • Topic 3: Intermittent flow – hydrological effects and impacts on benthic communities, ecological state and functioning of riverine systems
  • Topic 4: Drought, low flow and warming – hydrological effects and impacts on the ecological state and functioning of river systems
  • Topic 5: Water transit time distributions as indicators for the vulnerability of riverine ecosystems under different pressures from social metabolism
  • Topic 6: Analyzing possible contributions of re-activated former watercourses towards a more sustainable transformation of industrialized riverine landscapes in urban areas
  • Topic 7: The role of the latest industrial revolutions on instream processes and ecological vulnerability of IRL
  • Topic 8: The effects of infrastructure development on ecological and ecosystem service network properties in river systems
  • Topic 9: The impact of urban settlements on organic matter and nutrient flows in industrialized riverine landscapes – What can we learn from the past?
  • Topic 10: Urban metabolism, a river’s ecohydrology and industrialization: Vienna and the Danube, 1800-2000
  • Topic 11: Impact of external organic matter sources on nutrient, sediment and water transport from cropland into streams
  • Topic 12: Impacts of bioenergy crops used as riparian buffer strips on stream ecosystems’ functioning
  • Topic 13: Sustainable hydropower & and the water-energy-food nexus in multi-stressed IRLs: Challenges and solutions for science & management
  • Topic 14: Integrated modelling of farmers’ climate change impact and adaptation appraisal to inform regional human river nexus management
  • Topic 15: Strategic planning approaches to territorial governance of industrialized riverine landscapes

For more information, please visit: https://short.boku.ac.at/q9ry2k

Application deadline: 2nd April 2024

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Natural Sciences

Dr. Tugume Patience Wins OWSD Early Career Fellowship

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Dr. Tugume Patience, Department of Plant Sciences, Microbiology and Biotechnology, College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS), Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

Dr Tugume Patience, a Lecturer in the Department of Plant Sciences, Microbiology and Biotechnology at the College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS), Makerere University is one of the 28 women who have been granted the 2023 OWSD Early Career Fellowship.  These scientists will receive up to USD50,000 to lead research projects and establish research groups at their home institutions in 16 countries in the developing world, to maintain an international standard of research and attract scholars from all over the world to collaborate. Funding for the fellowships is generously provided by Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC).

During the 3-year fellowship, fellows will receive specific training to build on their leadership and management skills and develop connections with a variety of public and private sector partners to potentially convert their research into marketable products or guarantee its impact on a broader scale. By improving their communication and outreach skills, fellows will also learn to effectively present their research to various audiences, thus attracting new collaborators and potential funders to ensure the sustainability of the research project.

Dr Tugume’s Project – Biological Systems and Organisms

This project will use various forms of bio-wastes from households and urban centres in Uganda as raw materials for production of biogas, as well as an eco-friendly bio-fertilizer and bio-pesticide. Large amounts of unconsumed food are often thrown away in homes and urban centres that could be converted into useful products that would supply energy, enhance agricultural productivity and reduce deforestation. This project will construct anaerobic bio-digester tanks to process different kinds of bio-waste into biogas, a renewable energy source, and evaluate yields of biogas from different bio-wastes and combinations of bio-wastes. It will additionally produce a bio-fertilizer to enrich soil and a bio-pesticide to manage agricultural pests. The project will also equip households with the skills to biologically convert wastes into value-added products, training women and youth in biogas production and usage.

Details on the fellowships at: https://owsd.net/news/news-events/introducing-2023-owsd-early-career-fellows

Congratulations Dr Tugume

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Agriculture & Environment

CoSTClim – NORPART Call for Applications for Masters Student Mobility to Norway 2024

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Makerere University (MAK) in collaboration with Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Uganda Martyrs University (UMU) and Regional Universities Forum (for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) are implementing a five-year CoSTClim project (Collaborative Action for Strengthening Training Capacities in Climate Risk and Natural Resource management). The main goal of the project is to improve the quality of training, education and research at the partner institutions with a dedicated focus on climate risk, disaster risk management and natural resource management. CoSTClim builds on a range of other capacity development projects funded by the Norwegian Government at the partner institutions, and has a specific focus on education.

One of the components of CoSTClim is student mobility from Uganda to Norway and from Norway to Uganda. Therefore, we are inviting applicants from Makerere University for Masters student mobility scholarships to NTNU for the Autumn semester in 2024. There are five mobility scholarship slots available for this year. The scholarship will cover 5 months (August-December 2024) stay at NTNU in Trondheim, Norway. The successful candidates can enroll in selected course units at NTNU as well as leveraging the stay to write their master’s thesis. The width and breadth of available course units from which the candidates can select are found: https://www.ntnu.edu/geography/exchange-students

Limited research supervision will also be given by NTNU staff but the primary supervision responsibility stays with the allocated supervisors at Makerere University or Uganda Martyrs University.

Eligibility and requirements for the mobility applicants
a) The applicant should be a fully registered student in a relevant Masters programme at
Makerere University or Uganda Martyrs University, which aligns to the CostClim
thematic focus area.
b) The focus of the research of the applicant should align strongly to climate risk, disaster
risk management, natural resource management or agriculture.
c) The applicant should be progressing well on the masters programme and within the
stated duration of the programme (2-3years).

Application procedure
Interested and eligible Masters students should send the following;
a) A one page application letter
b) A motivation statement and plan for the time at NTNU (1-2 pages)
c) A letter from the Head of Department attesting to your registration, study status and
progress on your programme.
d) Copies of your undergraduate transcript and partial transcript or HOD endorsed
results for your current studies.
Application with all the required documents should be submitted by email to the contacts
below in one message.

  1. Yazidhi Bamutaze (for applicants from MAK)- yazidhibamutaze@gmail.com
  2. Runyararo Jolyn Rukarwa – r.rukarwa@ruforum.org
  3. Charlotte Nakakawa Jjunju – charlotte.jjunju@ntnu.no
  4. Joseph Sekandi sekjoseph@gmail.com
    Short listed applicants will be invited to complete educational procedures at NTNU under the
    exchange arrangement. A scholarship

The application deadline is Thursday 29th February 2024.

For further details, kindly download the document by following this link.

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