Ukudla - African German Centre

: Introducing Dr Blessings Masuku (PhD), an UKUDLA-supported Postdoctoral Researcher, based at UKUDLA consortium partner institution, the University of Pretoria. Dr Masuku’s research is focused on “rethinking urban community gardens as ‘commons’, through the lens of indigenous food knowledge”, and “learning from local communities for a sustainable future”. Dr Masuku’s research is supervised by Professor Edilegnaw Wale.

You can also find out more about Dr Masuku’s research in this recent The Conversation Africa think-piece, co-authored by UKUDLA supervisor, Dr Colleta Gandidzanwa: https://theconversation.com/urban-farming-helps-johannesburgs-poorest-households-survive-now-it-needs-bigger-investment-285382

: Introducing Dr Blessings Masuku (PhD), an UKUDLA-supported Postdoctoral Researcher, based at UKUDLA consortium partner institution, the University of Pretoria. Dr Masuku’s research is focused on “rethinking urban community gardens as ‘commons’, through the lens of indigenous food knowledge”, and “learning from local communities for a sustainable future”. Dr Masuku’s research is supervised by Professor Edilegnaw Wale.

You can also find out more about Dr Masuku’s research in this recent The Conversation Africa think-piece, co-authored by UKUDLA supervisor, Dr Colleta Gandidzanwa: https://theconversation.com/urban-farming-helps-johannesburgs-poorest-households-survive-now-it-needs-bigger-investment-285382 or via the link in our bio.

Call for applications: Hohenheim NextGen Scientists Symposium 2026

The Universität Hohenheim, UKUDLA's German consortium partner, is inviting applications from early-career researchers for the "Hohenheim NextGen Scientists Symposium", taking place from 16–18 November 2026 in Stuttgart, Germany. The symposium is open to researchers who completed their PhD within the last four years and offers an excellent opportunity to present research, engage with leading international scholars, and explore future collaborations.

The programme will feature dedicated sessions in four key research areas:
- Microbiome Research in Livestock and Agri-Food Systems
- Diversity and Resilience Across Scales in Natural and Agro-Ecosystems
- Data-Driven Transformation of Sustainable Agri-Food Systems, chaired by UKUDLA Project Lead Professor Dr Christine Wieck and Co-Project Lead Professor Dr Thomas Dimpfl
- Food, Nutrition and Health.

In addition to the scientific programme, participants will have the opportunity to:
- Tour Hohenheim's world-class research infrastructure
- Learn about support services for early-career researchers
- Receive personalised advice on funding opportunities.

This symposium provides an outstanding platform to showcase your research, expand your international network and discover new opportunities for collaboration at one of Europe's leading universities in agricultural, food and environmental sciences.

📍 Stuttgart, Germany
📅 16–18 November 2026
🗓️ Application deadline: 2 August 2026

More information and applications: https://www.uni-hohenheim.de/en/hohenheim-nextgen-scientists-symposium

Day 8 (16 June) marked the final teaching day of the 2026.

Led by Professor Julian May, the day’s Food Systems session explored how regenerative urbanism and territorial governance can help build more sustainable, resilient and equitable food systems.

Using the Breede Valley Municipality in South Africa as a case study, participants examined why food security challenges cannot be solved through agriculture alone. Discussions highlighted the connections between food systems, housing, water, energy, transport, health, education and local governance.

A key takeaway was that transforming food systems requires collaboration across sectors and communities. Through participatory research, collective learning and inclusive governance, stakeholders can work together to design place-based solutions that support food security, ecological sustainability and social wellbeing.

As the final teaching day of the Summer School, the session brought together many of the themes explored throughout the programme: food systems, sustainability, innovation, governance and collaboration.

Read more from our students here: https://ukudla-coe.ac.za/2026/06/17/connecting-food-people-and-place-through-territorial-governance/ / via the link in our bio.

A proud message from Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), an UKUDLA consortium partner. Together, we’re preparing the next generation of food systems leaders!

Day 7 (15 June) of the 2026 took participants beyond the classroom and into the field.

The day began with a visit to the John Deere Forum in Mannheim, where participants explored the role of technology, automation and precision agriculture in shaping the future of farming.

In the afternoon, the group visited Biohof Grieshaber & Schmid, a family-run organic farm in the Stuttgart region. Participants learned about ecological soil management, nutrient recycling, biodiversity and sustainable food production in practice.

Together, the visits highlighted two important dimensions of food systems transformation: technological innovation and sustainable farming. The excursion offered valuable insights into how different approaches can contribute to more resilient and sustainable agricultural systems.

Day 5 (13 June) of the 2026 concluded the Computational Science Hub (CSH) Summer School at the University of Hohenheim.

Building on the previous day’s drone operations and field data collection, participants explored how artificial intelligence, remote sensing and machine vision can be used to support precision agriculture and sustainable food systems.

Led by Pirmin Stöhr and Dr Robin Mink of SAM-DIMENSION, the sessions focused on image annotation, AI training datasets and Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs). Through hands-on exercises, participants learned how crops and weeds can be identified from drone imagery and how data quality directly affects AI performance.

One of the day’s key messages was that technology is most effective when it solves real-world problems. By combining remote sensing, machine vision and AI-driven analysis, these tools can help farmers reduce herbicide use, improve efficiency and strengthen resilience in a changing climate.

Read more from our students via the link in our bio.

Day 4 (12 June) of the 2026 marked a transition from the ACRIUC Symposium to the Computational Science Hub (CSH) Summer School, where participants began exploring how data science and digital technologies can support more sustainable and resilient food systems.

Hosted at the University of Hohenheim, the first day of the CSH programme introduced participants to the fundamentals of remote sensing and precision agriculture through a combination of theory and hands-on learning.

Led by Pirmin Stöhr of SAM-DIMENSION, participants explored remote sensing technologies, machine vision and data-driven decision-making, as well as applications such as thermography, multispectral imaging, RGB imaging and hyperspectral sensing.

A key focus of the day was spot-spraying, a precision agriculture approach that targets weeds or affected areas rather than entire fields. Discussions explored both the opportunities and challenges of adopting these technologies, including cost, accessibility and practical implementation.

One of the highlights was designing and executing a drone data-capturing mission. Using Mission Planner software, participants configured flight paths and operational parameters before watching the drone autonomously complete the mission, demonstrating how planning, automation and data collection can work together to support agricultural decision-making.

Read more from our students here: https://ukudla-coe.ac.za/2026/06/15/from-data-to-decisions-exploring-remote-sensing-for-sustainable-agriculture/