Dr Frank Tchuwa of the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) joined fellow members of the UKUDLA team at the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Networking Meeting of the Centres of African Excellence, held in Nairobi, Kenya, from 3 to 5 November 2026.

Dr Tchuwa serves as UKUDLA Academic Support at LUANAR. He represented the University alongside colleagues from partner institutions in South Africa and Germany. The meeting brought together DAAD-supported centres of excellence from across the continent, along with other stakeholders.

Over the three days, participants reflected on progress and achievements across the centres. They discussed how collaboration can help address the pressing challenges facing individual countries, the African continent and the world. Discussions also covered building, expanding and maintaining partnerships that are fair, equitable and mutually beneficial. Participants took an open look at persistent challenges, working together as one DAAD-enabled community to find solutions.

Reflecting on the meeting, Dr Tchuwa said the gathering was a valuable opportunity for the centres to learn from one another. “Meeting fellow centres of excellence in person allowed us to share experiences, discuss common challenges and strengthen partnerships that are fair and beneficial to all. For LUANAR, this kind of engagement is important as we continue to contribute to research and capacity building in food systems,” he said.

The meeting also gave the UKUDLA delegation a chance to reconnect in person with Lars Gerold, Head of Section for Development Cooperation – Institution Building in Higher Education at DAAD. Earlier this year, Mr Gerold visited two UKUDLA partner institutions, the University of Pretoria and the University of the Western Cape, where he spent time with students, supervisors and staff.

The UKUDLA delegation comprised:

Professor Lembe Magwaza, holder of the South Africa-German Bilateral Research Chair in Sustainable and Resilient Food Systems, University of Mpumalanga
Elaine Petersen, UKUDLA Project Manager for Africa, University of the Western Cape
Dr Colleta Gandidzanwa, UKUDLA supervisor, University of Pretoria
Dr Frank Tchuwa, UKUDLA Academic Support, LUANAR
Kristina Mensah, UKUDLA Academic Support, University of Hohenheim

Opportunities such as this are one of the ways DAAD supports UKUDLA. The programme is funded by DAAD with funds from the German Federal Foreign Office (AA); the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR); and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity (BMLEH). It also receives support from the National Research Foundation (NRF) and the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation of South Africa.

LUANAR’s participation reflects the University’s continued commitment to international partnerships that strengthen research, build capacity and contribute to sustainable and resilient food systems.