May was an exceptionally productive month for the Aga Khan University's Arusha Climate and Environmental Research Centre (AKU-ACER). From high-level meetings in Nairobi to scientific visits in Canada and Nigeria, the Centre has strengthened its role as a key hub for climate and environmental research, learning, and community engagement in East Africa.
Global connections and institutional growth
The month kicked off with a focus on strategic collaboration. On May 6, Dr Emmanuel Sulle, Assistant Professor and Director of AKU-ACER, attended the second Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) Environment and Climate meeting in Nairobi. Convened by Dr Paul Dhalla, AKDN's Director of Environment, Climate and Sustainability, the session brought together AKDN entities and international partners to strengthen our collective conservation efforts.
A significant highlight was the visit from AKU Provost and Vice-President Academic, Professor Tania Bubela, on May 27. She met with our Arusha team to discuss our strategic priorities and visited key partners, including the Tanzania Plant Health and Pesticides Authority (TPHPA) and the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI). Professor Bubela also spent time with students from our joint field school, gaining firsthand insight into our commitment to interdisciplinary learning.
Research on the world stage
Our researchers have been sharing their expertise globally. Dr Happiness Moshi, a Postdoctoral Fellow at AKU-ACER, spent much of May in Canada, visiting the International Institute for Sustainable Development – Experimental Lakes Area (IISD-ELA) and presenting her work on citizen science at a major conference in Winnipeg, one of Western Canada's leading centres for research. Meanwhile, Dr Bashir Adelodun, an Assistant Professor at the Centre, was in Nigeria for the FETiCON 2026 conference, where he presented on climate-resilient food systems.
Back home, we've been busy building future capacity. We officially recruited two doctoral students for the DANIDA-funded project, marking the start of their field activities. Preparations are also well underway to bring on another PhD student for the Future Rural Africa project, a collaboration with the Universities of Bonn and Cologne that was recently awarded third-phase funding by the German Research Foundation (DFG).
Learning with communities
Education at the Centre is hands-on and field-based. From May 21 to June 7, AKU-ACER hosted a joint field school with 18 students from Simon Fraser University (SFU) and the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM). The students travelled across Monduli and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, learning directly from Maasai communities about Indigenous knowledge.
The Centre also strengthened its team by appointing Mr Alais Morindat as adjunct faculty. His deep Indigenous knowledge will support AKU-ACER's vision of a “living laboratory" where science and traditional wisdom converge. On May 28, Dr Janemary Ntalwila, Head of the Wildlife Information and Education Unit at the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI), led a presentation on the second phase of the biodiversity assessment survey at the AKU Principal Campus in Arusha. The Centre's work also attracted media attention, with a senior journalist from The Citizen and Mwananchi newspapers visiting on May 26 to document its efforts.
Supporting our neighbours
Our Community Outreach Centre remains a vital pillar of the institution. We wrapped up the school term for our Saturday learning sessions for children aged 10–13 and hosted a community breast and cervical cancer screening camp. This initiative reached 329 women, providing vital health education and identifying more than 15 women who required medical follow-up.
