Students from across Africa are finding more than academic opportunity at the University of the Free State (UFS) through the MAINSTREAM project – they are discovering new perspectives, research collaborations, and supportive networks that are shaping their futures.
For many of the students, the experience has been both academically enriching and personally transformative.
“The inclusivity – that’s what stands out for me,” says Maureen Oyugi, a doctoral student from Kenya. “Everyone here is supportive. They allow me to use the resources … and that enables me to perform my research.”
Oyugi says the experience at the UFS has expanded her academic ambitions and career outlook.
“It has broadened my perspective of what I thought I had as a career goal,” she explains. “It has actually opened up my mind to think far beyond what I can do.”
Sharone Juma, a master’s student from Kenya, says the supportive learning environment and mentorship at the UFS had a significant impact on her academic development.
“So far, I have loved the learning environment,” she says. “The learning materials, the very able supervisors who are working with us so well … everything has been made so easy to access all the resources available for us to do our research.”
Juma says one of the most valuable aspects of the programme has been engaging with fellow students and researchers from different African countries.
“We are students from all over Africa, different parts of Africa. Some of them are ahead of us, some of them are doing PhDs and I’m a master’s student, so I’m learning how to do constructive research … I’m learning a lot from them.”
Building continental research collaboration
This year, the project has expanded further, with students from Kenya, Ethiopia, and Togo participating in the programme. Seven students are already at the UFS, while another is expected to arrive soon. The students are hosted across several departments within the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, including Sustainable Food Systems and Development, Microbiology and Biochemistry, Zoology, Agricultural Economics, and Animal Science.
The current cohort includes Hasen Deksiso Wari and Yobsan Degefa Dadi from Ethiopia; Sharone Nelly Juma, Modock Odiwuor Oketch, Maureen Anyango Oyugi, and Geofrey Okinyi Abonyo from Kenya; as well as Abra Rita Agbeko from Togo and Nesredin Hajo Weni from Ethiopia.
Master’s students spend six months at the UFS, while doctoral students remain for up to a year as part of their research exchanges. The students conduct research projects initiated at their home institutions, while collaborating with UFS researchers through shared supervision and research publications.
“Eighteen international students from Africa are making a significant contribution to internationalisation at the UFS,” says Prof Witthuhn. “All of the students have contributed to research outputs and co-publication.”
The programme has already celebrated important milestones. Three students from the first cohort – Prudence Bilabina, Wycliff Baluku, and Gemedo Kaweti Shenga – have since graduated from their home institutions.
Creating opportunities beyond the classroom
Prof Witthuhn says UFS staff and departments play a key role in supporting students academically, socially, and professionally throughout their stay.
“They have each been assigned a supervisor who guides their research activities in collaboration with their supervisors in their home countries,” she says. “They are also regularly invited to social events involving their supervisors and UFS administrative staff who support their scholarships.”
In addition to strengthening agricultural research capacity, the MAINSTREAM project is helping to establish long-term academic networks across the continent.
Prof Witthuhn hopes that the programme will continue to foster new research outputs, academic partnerships, international student opportunities, and long-term collaboration between African institutions.
As the programme continues to grow, it is also creating spaces where students from different countries can learn from one another, exchange ideas, and build relationships that may shape the future of agricultural research and innovation in Africa.