March 11, 2025 | Author: UBC Forestry
Grad students will do training & research through the Coastal Guardians Fellowship Program, a collaboration between UBC Forestry & Institute for the Oceans & Fisheries
Thirty African graduate students will be pursuing advanced studies and research at UBC, supported by the Canadian International Development Scholarships 2030 program (BCDI). The project is funded by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada.
The students come from three leading African universities: the Sokoine University of Agriculture/national Carbon Monitoring Centre and the Mkwawa University College of Education, Geography and Economics, both in Tanzania, and the University of Cape Coast, Ghana.
BCDI 2030 is an eight-year, $80-million initiative started in 2022. Jointly administered by Colleges and Institutes Canada and Universities Canada, the program’s goal is to strengthen the social and economic development of 26 developing partner countries, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa, by offering inclusive, quality and accessible education and training opportunities in Canada so that individuals can improve living conditions in their countries.
The scholarships give students educational experiences in high-impact sectors, such as STEM, climate action, artificial intelligence, and the green and blue economy, a term which refers to an economy powered by sustainable practices and renewable energy sources. Over three summers beginning in 2026, the visiting students will participate in the Coastal Guardians Fellowship Program, developed in collaboration with the UBC Faculty of Forestry, UBC Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries and the three partners.
The Coastal Guardians Fellowship builds on the recently launched CoastMan program, which supports mangrove-dependent communities in Eastern and Western Africa with a knowledge-based decision-making criteria system local leaders can utilize. The fellowship is part of an interdisciplinary research project focused on training stewards to sustainably manage mangrove ecosystems by equipping students with skills at the intersection of land and sea. It is aligned with national priorities and addresses critical needs in Tanzania and Ghana, says Hamidu Seki, Lecturer on Tropical costal ecosystems at Mkwawa University College of Education, Geography and Economics, Tanzania.
Says Deo D. Shirima, Senior Researcher and MRV expert at Tanzania’s Sokoine University of Agriculture/National Carbon Monitoring Centre: “These coastal communities rely on mangrove forests for their livelihoods, but climate change threatens these vital ecosystems. They need support with restoration and conservation.”
The Coastal Guardians Fellowship provides awards through two models: a customized training program for master’s students and research stays for PhD students. The total value of the scholarship program is CAD $586,000.
“Through this partnership, UBC Forestry is committed to advancing global sustainable development goals and fostering collaboration between Canada and African nations,” says Terry Sunderland, Professor of Tropical Forestry at the UBC Faculty of Forestry and a Senior Research Associate at the Centre for International Forestry Research, Indonesia. “The program ensures at least 51 percent of scholarship recipients are women, promoting gender equality in access to education and the labor market.”
In addition, Africa will soon be home to about 40 percent of the world’s youth, according to the United Nations, notes Dr. Rashid Sumaila, Professor and Director of the Fisheries Economics Research Unit at UBC Fisheries Centre. “Programs such as this can contribute to equipping these young people with what they need to help make Africa and the world more sustainable and just,” he says.
Says Ibrahim Issifu, an interdisciplinary Fisheries Economist and a Research Associate in the Fisheries Economics Research Unit the UBC Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries: “By investing in these emerging scholars, we are also strengthening bridges between continents, and fostering research that addresses local challenges with global impact.”
Specifically, this program will train a “critical mass of experts” that will work to reverse degradation of mangrove forests of sub-Saharan Africa, says Dr. Precious Agbeko D. Mattah, Senior Research Fellow and Deputy Director of the Centre for Coastal Management-Africa Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience (CCM-ACECoR).
Professor Denis W. Aheto, agrees. He is Director of the Centre for Coastal Management-Africa Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience (CCM-ACECoR) and Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast. “Africa will be gifted with the next batch of mangrove ecosystems conservation specialists through this program,” Prof. Aheto says.
Read more about programs and initiatives of the UBC Faculty of Forestry and UBC Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries.
Find out more about the Canadian International Development Scholarships 2030 program (BCDI).
