Aga Khan University's Arusha Climate and Environmental Research Centre (AKU-ACER) recently welcomed a cohort of 11 students and a professor from Simon Fraser University's (SFU) Mechatronics Systems Engineering programme as part of a groundbreaking collaboration aimed at fostering innovation in agriculture and sustainability. The two-week field school demonstrated the effectiveness of interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing pressing global challenges. It was held at AKU-ACER's living laboratory in Arusha, Tanzania.
A two-day mechatronics workshop, co-hosted with the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), served as the focal point of this partnership. The event brought together students and faculty from SFU, NM-AIST, and AKU-ACER, providing a conducive environment for the exchange of knowledge and expertise in science and technology.
Professor Emmanuel Sulle, Director of AKU-ACER, underscored the significance of such partnerships in driving meaningful progress. “By pooling resources and expertise from multiple institutions and geographies, initiatives like these hold the promise of delivering impactful solutions to some of the most pressing climate change, environmental and technological challenges facing our planet today."
With a specific focus on addressing agricultural sustainability, the workshop tapped into the collective technical skills and practical experience of its participants. Through interactive sessions and hands-on demonstrations featuring technologies like drones and weed robots, attendees explored the potential applications of mechatronics in agriculture.
Professor Woo Soo Kim from SFU's School of Mechatronic Systems Engineering highlighted the workshop's role in fostering connections and understanding between students and institutions. "This event aims to tackle climate change and foster resilience solutions, while also facilitating collaborative opportunities," Prof. Kim noted, expressing gratitude for the warm reception from AKU-ACER and NM-AIST.
Students gladly participated in a variety of activities, from community participation and climate change literacy to mechatronic engineering applications in agriculture, demonstrating the workshop's tangible impact on them. As they reflected on their experiences, students provided fascinating insights:
Shekinah Henday, a Master's Student from NM-AIST said, “The workshop was all about integration of artificial intelligence and new technologies to enhance precision agriculture and increase crop quality and output."
Jeannifer Labelle, an MSE Undergraduate from SFU, spoke of the transformative effect of collaborating with AKU-ACER and NM-AIST on their capstone project. "Our initial assumptions about farmers' interests, such as focusing solely on height and volume, were broadened upon interacting with Tanzanian farmers. We discovered their interest in aspects like soil nutrient levels and NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index). This experience has enriched our perspective and encouraged us to explore additional avenues alongside our primary analysis project."
Devin Armstrong, another MSE Undergraduate from SFU, stressed the role of technology in improving lives. “Technology is a tool that everyone can use to further their economic development, to help speed things up and to improve the lives of others."
This collaboration marks the fifth group of students hosted by AKU-ACER since September 2023, demonstrating the success of its field school programme. Prof Sulle reiterated the Centre's commitment to hosting more groups from Aga Khan University's entities in East Africa and Pakistan, as well as from Simon Fraser University, in the coming months.
