Africa-Europe Cluster of Research Excellence in Sustainable Food Systems (CoRE-SFS)

24 February 2025. The CoRE-SFS 2025 Webinar Series offers an exciting opportunity to engage with innovative research and spark dynamic conversations on key topics shaping the future of sustainable food systems. 

Throughout the year, 9 webinars will serve as a platform for sharing knowledge, exploring innovative ideas, and uncovering new avenues for collaboration. Attendees will have the chance to connect with researchers from across Africa and Europe, fostering relationships and discovering the potential for joint proposals and impactful partnerships within the CoRE-SFS network. 

The 2025 Webinar Series presents the chance to be part of this global dialogue and contribute to transforming food systems worldwide. Each webinar will be one hour in length and will have an overarching theme and two presentation topics, with one presenter from a European CoRE-SFS partner institution and one presenter from an African partner institution.

• Welcome & introduction Prof. Frans Swanepoel CoRE-SFS Co-Lead; Future Africa Research Chair in Sustainable Food Systems, University of Pretoria (UP) 
• The Cluster of Research Excellence (CoRE) initiative - Mr Sean Rowlands Senior Policy Officer, The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities (The Guild) 
• An African perspective on collaboration for capacity building - Prof. Ernest Aryeetey Distinguished academic leader; founding Secretary-General of the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) 
• Case study: African-European collaboration for capacity building Prof. Davide Chinigò Senior Assistant Professor of African History and Institutions, University of Bologna (UNIBO) 

About CoRE-SFS 

Food system challenges, including food insecurity, malnutrition, and poverty, persist in Africa. In 2023, the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) and The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities (The Guild) launched 17 research clusters to foster collaborative research across Africa and Europe. 

Each Africa-Europe Cluster of Research Excellence (CoRE) pairs researchers from at least three African and two European universities to tackle major scientific issues through research and education. 

One of these clusters, the Africa-Europe Cluster of Research Excellence in Sustainable Food Systems (CoRE-SFS), is co-led by the University of Pretoria and the University of Bologna. This global platform includes 22 partners from across Africa and Europe collaborating on challenge-driven, integrated, and engaged research, focusing on sustainable food systems. CoRE-SFS aims to build institutional research capacities, strengthen the research culture among partners, and make substantial contributions by conducting research on food systems transformation. It will ensure long-term collaboration, pool resources for greater impact, and enhance African institutional capacity.

PROJECT PARTNERS 

1. University of Pretoria - lead
2. University of Bologna Italy 
3. University of Leeds United Kingdom 
4. University of Ghana Ghana 
5. University of Nairobi Kenya 
6. University of the Western Cape South Africa 
7. Agricultural Research Council South Africa 
8. Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN) South Africa
9. Ghent University Belgium 
10. University of Göttingen Germany 
11. University of Hohenheim Germany 
12. University of Johannesburg South Africa 
13. University of KwaZulu-Natal South Africa 
14. University of Ljubljana Slovenia 
15. University of Montpellier France 
16. University of Mpumalanga South Africa
17. University of Warwick United Kingdom 
18. Makerere University Uganda 
19. University of Cape Town 
20. Universitat Pompeu Fabra 
21. Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) 

Related:

Dr Abena Boakye (Ghana) an FSNet-Africa research fellow, has been conducting research into incorporating egusi (cucurbit or Wrewre seeds) into diets for improved nutrition. 

• As part of the research that she did, she worked with communities and scientists to improve commonly used Wrewre soup and stew recipes, to increase the protein and nutritional value of the food. She produced a Wrewre stew and soup cookbook that contains easy-to-make recipes. Download the cookbook here.
• Originally published by FSNet-Africa. Read the original article here.
• FSNetAfrica is a flagship project in the ARUA Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Food Systems (ARUASFS), which is hosted by the University of Pretoria (South Africa) in collaboration with the University of Nairobi (Kenya) and University of Ghana (Ghana)