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UKUDLA
Centre of Excellence for Sustainable and Resilient Food Systems and Applied Agricultural and Food Data Science
UKUDLA – the African-German Centre of Excellence for Sustainable and Resilient Food Systems and Applied Agricultural and Food Data Science – was officially launched in January 2025. UKUDLA is a ground-breaking initiative dedicated to transforming Africa’s food systems through innovative research, capacity building, and knowledge transfer.
Derived from the Nguni word for “food,” UKUDLA is a collaborative effort involving leading institutions, including the University of Pretoria (UP) in South Africa, the University of Hohenheim in Germany, the University of the Western Cape, the University of Mpumalanga, and the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources in Malawi. Supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), multiple German Federal Ministries, and South Africa’s National Research Foundation (NRF), the Centre aims to address Africa’s complex food-security challenges through interdisciplinary and data-driven approaches.
At the heart of UKUDLA’s mission is the University of Pretoria, which proudly hosts the Centre’s doctoral training hub. This hub is positioned within Future Africa under the Future Africa Chair in Sustainable Food Systems (FA-SFS) and operates alongside the African Research Universities Alliance Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Food Systems (ARUA-SFS) and the Africa-Europe Cluster of Research Excellence in Sustainable Food Systems (CoRE-SFS), both hosted by Future Africa. These synergies enable UKUDLA to drive impactful, continent-wide collaboration and innovation in sustainable food systems.
UKUDLA focuses on three key pillars:
- Capacity Building: Training the next generation of scientists through advanced Master’s and PhD programmes, postdoctoral fellowships, and lifelong learning opportunities.
- Research Excellence: Leveraging digital and data-driven methodologies to develop resilient and sustainable food systems tailored to Africa’s unique contexts.
- Knowledge Transfer: Bridging academic research with real-world application by engaging stakeholders across science, business, policy, and society.
As a beacon of interdisciplinary collaboration, UKUDLA is committed to fostering sustainable, resilient, and inclusive food systems that benefit both people and the planet. Join us in shaping the future of food in Africa and beyond!