Africa Centre of Excellence in Aquaculture and Fisheries (AquaFish)

The Aquaculture and Fisheries Science Centre of Excellence (AquaFish), based at Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), seeks to train a pool of skilled and innovative graduate students to contribute towards improved fish-based food and incomes from aquaculture and fisheries in Africa. The establishment of AquaFish is in line with, and will significantly contribute to the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), the Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA), and the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy, to increase human capacity development for aquaculture and fisheries sector growth. These development frameworks recognize the need to increase fish production, to improve fish per capita consumption and subsequently reduce malnutrition and stunting that are prevalent in the region. AquaFish centre builds on LUANAR’s track record of serving as a regional training centre in aquaculture and fisheries science for Africa. LUANAR hosts the regional PhD programmes in Aquaculture and Fisheries Science, and Agricultural and Resource Economics on behalf of 60 member universities of the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM). In addition LUANAR (the Aquaculture and Fisheries Science Department) is a designated Regional Fish Node responsible for advancing science and biodiversity research within the SADC region under the NEPAD Southern Africa Network on Biosciences (SANBio). AquaFish centre will facilitate and promote scaling-up graduate training in Aquaculture and Fisheries, community action research, and strengthen linkages with the private sector in the region while increasing females and youth participation. The centre will employ innovative, entrepreneurial and multidisciplinary approaches to training, research and outreach on production, value addition and fisheries management, through strategic south-south and north-south partnerships with advanced knowledge institutions and other higher education stakeholders. The main outcomes of the centre will include: (i) enhanced capacity to produce graduates that are relevant to industrial needs in aquaculture and fisheries sector in the region, (ii) fit-for-purpose proactive graduates (338 MSc and 84 PhD) to support aquaculture, natural resource management and nutrition, and (iii) strengthened partnerships with industry, research and academia in the production of quality graduate students in the aquaculture and fisheries value chain, relevant for economic development.