Coventry University-Africa Hub

We're celebrating Coventry University Group's KEF results, which recognised its impact on businesses and communities through sharing academic and research expertise.

The Group performed strongly in the latest Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF5) by Research England, which measures how universities support workforce development, regeneration, and collaboration with commercial and non-commercial partners.

Coventry University Group exceeded in:

◼️ IP & Commercialisation - demonstrating strength in generating investment and turnover from spinouts, with particularly strong outcomes in external investment and firm turnover.

◼️ Public & Community Engagement - rated at the highest level of engagement, reflecting Coventry’s deep commitment to social impact and partnerships with local communities.

At Coventry University Africa Hub, we share this commitment to transforming knowledge into real-world impact across Africa.

Learn more about this achievement: https://bit.ly/3W4JCRo

Coventry University has unveiled three major initiatives designed to make Artificial Intelligence (AI) accessible, responsible, and transformative.

Through three initiatives, the AI Skills Academy, the AI Adoption Lab, and the Coventry Centre for Doctoral Training (C-CDT) in AI, the aim is to accelerate capacity to learn and innovate in the age of AI.

At Coventry University Africa Hub, we are excited about these developments and look forward to working with institutions across Sub-Saharan Africa to build collaborations that advance AI education, innovation, and skills for sustainable development.

Together, we’re ensuring that AI works for everyone, everywhere.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3JclRnu

We’re celebrating Coventry University ’s double win at the prestigious University Alliance Awards 2025!

Coventry University was awarded the Global Impact Award for the Solar Energy Transitions (SET): Inclusive E-cooking in Sub-Saharan Africa project and the Local Impact Award for the Hope For The Community CIC.

Everyone at the Africa Hub is particularly proud to have supported the SET project,led by Dr Jonathan Nixon and Dr Alison Halford, which installed solar electric cookers in rural households in Rwanda to reduce reliance on firewood and charcoal stoves, which harm health and the environment.

These awards highlight Coventry University’s commitment to turning research into real-world solutions.

Congratulations to the project leads, our Africa Hub colleagues, and all project partners including me reg for driving innovation and sustainability across Africa.

More information on the award-winning projects here:
https://bit.ly/4nz6cxv

As we begin October, we are reminded of how rapidly our world is being reshaped by emerging technologies.

Artificial Intelligence, robotics, blockchain and biotechnology are no longer distant concepts - they are shaping the way we live, work, and connect.

It's important that we remain curious, adaptable and open to change.

Here’s to a new month of innovation, resilience, and new opportunities.

Coventry University Group has secured a £1 million Turing Scheme UK grant to support students and recent graduates with life-changing international opportunities overseas.

The funding will help learners with travel and living costs while studying, working, or volunteering abroad - with placements lasting from 14 days to 12 months. Extra support is also available for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

At the Coventry University Africa Hub, we are proud to have been supporting students by helping them find internships and placements in the region, which has opened doors to real-world experiences across Africa.

This grant ensures that Coventry University's students continue to experience new cultures, build global networks, and grow both academically and personally.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/4nmP7Xu

Today we reflect on the insightful Deep Learning INDABA meeting we attended recently which brought together brilliant minds from across Africa to discuss the future of artificial intelligence under the theme of Urunana – Hand in Hand for AI in Africa.

We were reminded how much people, collaboration and ecosystems need to be at the centre to allow innovation to thrive.

From community-led mentoring to research partnerships, the meeting showed that Africa’s strength lies in working together.

A study by Coventry University has found that entering a hot environment after exercise could lead to long-lasting cardiovascular benefits.

Led by Dr Tom Cullen, Assistant Professor at the Centre for Physical Activity, Sport and Exercise Science, and authored by former PhD student Charles Steward, the study involved 24 participants aged 45–60.

After 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, half the participants were immersed in 40°C water and half in 34°C water, two to four times a week for eight weeks.

The study found that the group in the hotter water experienced additional benefits to their cardiovascular health, with lower blood pressure recorded and an improvement in artery function.

The study, published in The Journal of Physiology, shows the real-world impact of research.

Learn more about these benefits: https://bit.ly/4pyY81m

The entire team at the Africa Hub was delighted to hear that Coventry University Group has been ranked as the fourth best university in the UK in the 2025 Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES).

The university group claimed fourth spot for overall student satisfaction – moving up from eighth in 2024 – in the latest results released by Advance HE which mean the institution has been named in the top 10 for a fourth consecutive year.

Prof John Latham CBE, Coventry University Vice-Chancellor and Group CEO, said: "We pride ourselves on creating an environment where students at all levels can not only flourish academically but also feel part of the university community.

"However, never one to rest on our laurels, we will continue to work hard towards creating better futures."

Read more here: https://bit.ly/48j7mIB

Babies who aren’t weighed at birth in Sub-Saharan Africa are far less likely to survive to the age of five than those who are, according to new research led by Coventry University.

The study, conducted by Dr Abiodun Adanikin from the university's Research Centre for Healthcare and Communities, analysed data from more than 300,000 children across 33 Sub-Saharan African countries between 2011 and 2022.

It found that babies without a recorded birthweight were three and a half times more likely to die within the first 28 days. This increased risk continued over time, with children almost twice as likely to die before their first birthday and nearly twice as likely to die before the age of five.

Dr Adanikin said: “Weighing a baby at birth is more than just a number – it can be the first step in saving a life.”

We are proud of Dr Abiodun’s research which demonstrates the need to make birth weight measurement a routine part of newborn care and to equip community health workers with the right equipment and training to record weights accurately.

Find out more here: https://bit.ly/3HQTBX5

Today, we celebrate Dr Hany Wells, Academic Dean at Coventry University London, who was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship by Advance HE for her outstanding contribution to excellent teaching in higher education.

Since joining Coventry University London in 2019, Dr Wells has led a range of initiatives that have significantly enhanced teaching, learning and student engagement.

Her forward-thinking vision on the emerging challenges posed by generative AI in education and its potential impact on assessment, initiated a proactive review of assessment design before the issue gained widespread attention.

Learn more about Hany's achievements: https://bit.ly/4nehJ4K

Coventry University researchers are exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) is influencing religious beliefs and practices - and whether faith communities are embracing or resisting these changes.

The project is being funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council - AHRC ’s SALIENT Hub, with Coventry University the only UK institution to receive awards for two projects in the competitive funding round.

Led by Dr Adam Fenton and in collaboration with Dr Chris Shannahan from the university’s Research Centre for Peace and Security, the project will explore whether religious leaders view AI as supportive of spiritual understanding or as a threat to long-held traditions and how these perceptions vary across different faiths and cultures.

This project invites us all to reflect on how emerging technologies intersect with spiritual traditions, and how values might guide AI’s ethical use going forward.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/4g5szaQ