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Events

OPDF webinar

The Open Doors Fellowship Webinar: 2022

The open doors fellowship program ( ODFP ) targets African female researchers to help them acquire soft and hard skills to strengthen their placements within the hosting situation. During the webinar, the first cohort ( Adeola AjayiMadina Diancoumba and Anique Godjo ) shared their short research stay experience in Belgium. Laura Cortada, the project coordinator, explained the new guidelines for the call. The ODFP program received a grant from VLIR-UOS for 2022 – 2025. Through this grant, a total of sixteen female researchers will be sponsored, with each cohort having eight participants.

The call is officially open today: 10th of November 2022 till 10th of January, 2023

Gene editing symposium banner

The potential of genome editing for sustainable African agriculture

Commercialization of genome-edited crops has begun, yet the regulatory frameworks still range from non-existent to equivalent to GM crop regulations, which could lead to a ban on the technology in some regions or countries.

This symposium aimed to elaborate on state of the art and how the potential of genome editing is transformative toward a more resilient and sustainable African agriculture. We elaborated on the ongoing research, the regulatory framework and the socio-economic potential of this technology for the African continent.

GAPSYM 14: Africa and its ecologies. People and nature in the age of climate change

This 14th multi-disciplinary conference of the UGent Africa Platform hopes to showcase how scientists, policymakers, engineers, artists, writers, opinion-makers and educators anticipate these challenges and reflect on alternative trajectories of societal transformation. Therefore its principal focus is on the impact of climate change on African cultures, landscapes and societies.

banana online café

3rd Online café PlantB+B

In our third Plant Biotechnology and Breeding (Plant B+B) online café we have invited speakers Em. Prof. Dr Rony Swennen (IITA), Dr Jerome Kubiriba (National Agricultural Research Organization- NARO, Uganda) and Mary Mwangi (Kenyatta University, KU, Kenya)

Our invited scientists presented their findings on how the breeding work conducted by their teams has been instrumental in creating high-yielding cooking bananas and how these new varieties are finding their way to East African markets. Indeed, the speakers went further than the breeding work and will share their experiences on the key characteristics that lead to a better adoption by farmers of the newly bred banana lines and the acceptance by the local consumers. The researchers further discussed cross-cutting aspects such as how gender-responsive breeding and improved agronomical practices have a role to play in adopting and disseminating the new banana varieties to improve EA farmers’ livelihoods. 

satellite event

Applied Climate Research in Africa

Climate change has a substantial impact on food systems' stability. Hampered food production and availability directly impact smallholder farmers, who are the most vulnerable stakeholders. Thus, to minimize climate change's detrimental effect, food production chains need to incorporate mitigation and adaptation mechanisms to guarantee food security.
This satellite event, "Applied Climate Research in Africa, " aimed to showcase examples of scientific actions undertaken in Africa to enhance agricultural systems' resilience to climate-related challenges. Four scientists from leading research centers presented their latest interventions to adapt crops and manage agricultural systems in Africa sustainably in the current scenario of climatic uncertainly. Our invited speakers provided an overview of actual relevant examples successfully implemented in Africa regarding breeding healthier crops, their deployment in the field, farmers' adoption of new technologies, and sustainable farming practices to achieve climate-resilient agricultural and food systems.

online cafe

Online café Plant B+B

Biotechnology, biofortification and healthy diets: food systems' interventions for enhanced nutrition.
In this new Plant B+B Online Cafe, we featured the scientific views of Prof Dr Dominique Van Der Straeten, Prof Dr Hans De Steur, and Prof Dr Carl Lachat (UGent). Our invited researchers presented their findings on how biotechnology is essential for crop biofortification and the socio-economic determinants for adopting biofortified varieties. Furthermore, we discussed how scientists could promote biofortified crops and what strategies could be used by scientists and practitioners to integrate biofortification into broader food system interventions for healthy diets.

"Green Enlightenment" webinar by Marc Van Montagu

In this inaugural webinar, Marc Van Montagu talked about Science as a fundamental tool to understand life in general and human societies in particular. Observations on cause and effect and mathematical reasoning have helped us understand the nonliving world so well that we have called it Enlightenment. Until recently, the application of these "laws of nature" to explain the behavior of animals has brought nothing but confusion and anarchy. Understanding molecular and cellular biology, genetics, evolution, and ecology gives hope that we can wake up from this nightmare. How important are these reflections for the Plant B+B network?