A Regional Research School in Forest Sciences (REFOREST) is a new, innovative, interdisciplinary and unique regional PhD Forest Sciences degree programme for training forest scientists in Africa. With financial support from Sida, the programme is hosted at Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) and is implemented in partnership with the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (Sweden), Eduardo Mondlane University (Mozambique), National University of Rwanda (Rwanda), Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resources (Hawassa University (Ethiopia) and Makerere University (Uganda).
REFOREST Programme brings together intellectual resources within Eastern and Southern Africa and from across different regions of the world to build up scientific excellence in forest sciences within the region. Through an innovative regional approach, it strengthens partnerships, where several universities join hands to support a regional PhD training programme. The overall vision and mission of this programme are
REFOREST Programme initially includes three thematic areas in which the PhD students will conduct their research. These are: Commercial forestry and bio-economy, Natural forests Management and Agroforestry, forest-agriculture interactions and synergies, and conflict management. Cross-cutting areas for all the themes include gender, policy, livelihoods, forest governance, environmental and economic sustainability.
REFOREST programme is hosted by the College of Forestry, Wildlife and Tourism at Sokoine University of Agriculture in Tanzania. It is being implemented in partnership with five universities in Eastern and Southern African sub-region and Sweden mainly Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resources Hawassa University in Ethiopia, Faculty of Agronomy and Forest Engineering, Eduardo Mondlane University in Mozambique
In December 2025, the Swedish Government reduced Sida’s budget for development research cooperation significantly, for activities in 2026. This has regrettably resulted in Sida not being able to financially support REFOREST Africa PhD Programme, and consequently the second cohort of…
The Programme is hereby inviting qualified candidates to apply and compete for the 20 PhD Forest Science scholarships available for a maximum period of four years starting from April/May 2026. Deadline for receiving applications: 25th January 2026 Read more details…
Background The Sida funded REFOREST Africa Programme produced 18 PhD graduates after 4 years of training (2021 to 2024) at Sokoine University of agriculture (SUA) in collaboration with five partner universities namely Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Eduardo Mondlane…
The Programme organized PhD defense (in the form of a workshop) for REFOREST Programme students who had met the requirements as of early October, 2024. This activity started on Monday 7th and continued for 3 days to Wednesday 9th October, 2024 (starting from…
Referred PhD Seminar presentation By Hadia Seid Ali Agroforestry with fruit trees plays a crucial role in diversifying crops and supporting the livelihoods of rural farm communities among smallholder farmers. In Ethiopia, smallholders are growing avocado cultivars in their home gardens…
By David Kissa Ocama PhD student under REFOREST Programme at Sokoine University of Agriculture I am in my fourth year of PhD study in Forest Science at Sokoine University of Agriculture. I am a Forester with specialty in Silviculture and…
Christine listening to her colleagues during the refereed seminar at the College of Forestry, Wildlife and Tourism Refereed seminars provide a platform for PhD students to present and receive feedback on their research in various fields. As part of the…
By Osvaldo Meneses (PhD candidate) The seminar conducted under Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) Regulations to disseminate results as a requirement for acquiring a PhD under the Regional Research School in Forest Sciences was held in two phases, from June…
Scolastica Ntalikwa presenting her findings during the seminar presentations By Scolastica Justin Ntalikwa The peak of a PhD journey at SUA is marked by the presentation of research findings. This pivotal moment is an opportunity to showcase years of hard…
SINTAYEHU TAMENE BEYENE 13th – 14th and 24th – 25th June 2024 SUA, Morogoro, Tanzania The REFOREST PROGRAMME at Sokoine University of Agriculture’s College of Forestry, Wildlife, and Tourism held a seminar aimed at bringing together experts to evaluate and…
Among the various PhD students undergoing the learning process at Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), conducting seminars represents a critical stage. These seminars provide an opportunity for students to present their research results and outline the progress of their studies…
Fig 1 Participants of the refereed seminar at the College of Forestry, Wildlife and Tourism The postgraduate committee at the College of Forestry, Wildlife, and Tourism at the University hosted refereed seminars on the 13th-14th and 24th-25th of July 2024.…
Lemma Tiki Refereed seminars for REFOREST PhD students at the Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro Tanzania took place on June 13 &14th and June 24th & 25th 2024. The seminars were organized by College of Forestry, Wildlife and Tourism Post…
Feedback from Discussant Prof. Yonika Ngaga (Left) and Mukamparirwa presenting and responding to questions (Right) By Vestine Mukamparirwa Introduction Rwanda, known for its hilly landscapes, offers an exceptional opportunity to study the effects of tree species on soil health. My…
Photo taken during abstract presentation ABSTRACT PRESENTATION IN NM-AIST INTERNATIONAL 2024 CONFERENCE AT ARUSHA The recent Tropical Horizons Conference, held from July 17-19, 2024, in Arusha, Tanzania, brought together researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to discuss the critical intersection of sustainability…
In academia, refereed seminars are a cornerstone for PhD students, representing pivotal milestones in their scholarly pursuits. These events are not merely a platform for presentation but serve as a rigorous evaluation of their research progress and findings. The prestigious…
Developing soil quality indices for predicting Site Productivity in Pinus patula forest plantation in the Southern highlands and Northern part of Tanzania. Forests are an essential component of the global ecosystem as they significantly mitigate the effects of climate change,…
Low agricultural productivity and a decline in fuelwood resources are serious constraints for subsistence smallholder farmers in the Sub-Saharan Africa region, including Rwanda. Producing biochar in gasifier cookstoves and using it in agriculture can possibly address these constraints. It is…
Group photo of the people who attended the seminar presentation in person Miombo woodlands are important as a source of useful products such as fuelwood, charcoal, timber, and food such as fruits and honey. Moreover, they play a crucial role…
On 13th – 14th June 2024 and 24th -25th June 2024 the forest science community gathered for an enlightening seminar presented by PhD REFOREST students. Jacqueline Kajembe who is one of the PhD candidates in Forest Sciences under the same…
Figure 1: Presenting my research and receiving questions and comments from the discussant, examiners, and audience during the first refereed seminar Refereed seminars are pivotal for PhD students, marking significant milestones in their academic journey as they present their research…
Nishimwe responding to questions Introduction The Regional Research School in Forest Sciences (REFOREST) is hosting PhD students from five regional countries namely Rwanda, Uganda, Mozambique, Ethiopia and Tanzania. After conducting our research and data collection in our respective countries, the…
REFOREST is a Sida-funded Programme building forest science capacity in the Eastern and Southern Africa sub-regions through PhD-level training. Its main objective is to enhance the quality, relevance and reach of forest research for transformation of livelihoods and environment in…
By Solange Uwingabire PhD student under REFOREST Programme at Sokoine University of Agriculture Firewood scarcity In Rwanda, the combination of rising human population, inadequate species-user-site matching, insufficient tree management, and premature cutting, contributes to imbalance between wood supply and demand.…
By Vestine Mukamparirwa Assessing the use of biomass from Agroforestry tree species as organic fertilizer The majority of smallholder farmers in Eastern Africa lack the financial resources to purchase sufficient fertilizers to replace soil nutrients exported with harvested crop products.…
In developing countries, most people rely on tree biomass for cooking energy. In Rwanda, about 91% of households use tree biomass for cooking (MININFRA, 2018). However, due to the increased population, forests are becoming an unsustainable source of tree biomass.…
By Elias Nelly BAPFAKURERA Being so strongly dependent on agriculture for national revenue, domestic food security, energy, and employment but with scarce arable land, the only viable option for Rwanda is to focus on maximizing the use of its agricultural…
By Osvaldo Meneses PhD student under REFOREST Programme at Sokoine University of Agriculture Frequent and intense fires in miombo woodlands elevate its potential to impact climate change. Fires in the miombo directly result in GHG emission, thereby suppressing the woodland’s…
By David Kissa Ocama PhD student under REFOREST Programme at Sokoine University of Agriculture Tropical forests have complex ecological and environmental processes that maintain functionality as habitats for biodiversity conservation and sources of ecosystem goods and services. Key among the…
Supervisory visitation by Prof. Philip Nyeko, Prof. SAO Chamshama and Daniel Obua (student) with one of the Vitellaria paradoxa tree in the background which is one of the germplasm sources. Photo credit: Patrick Abwango Daniel Obua PhD student under REFOREST…
By Lemma Tiki PhD student under REFOREST Programme at Sokoine University of Agriculture Introduction My research activities in Ethiopia started in February, 2022 by preliminary field visit to Southeastern part of the country called Adaba-Dodola forest priority areas. Adaba-Dodola forest…
By Americo Manjate PhD student under REFOREST Programme at Sokoine University of Agriculture Miombo is one of the most extensive forest formations in Africa. Due to its resilience, this ecosystem has become the basis of subsistence for about 100 million…
BY JOSHUA STANLEY MAGUZU PhD student under REFOREST Programme at Sokoine University of Agriculture, December 2022 Introduction Plantation forestry in Tanzania (then Tanganyika) started during the German rule (1891-1914) with the establishment of nursery and field plantation trials. When the…
By Alberto António Manhiça (REG. NO. FSC/D/2020/0020) Ph.D. student under REFOREST Programme at Sokoine University of Agriculture INTRODUCTION Nowadays, conventional wood preservatives are under restrictions worldwide due to their detrimental effect on human health and the environment. Increasing concerns exist…
We are inviting interested applicants for two (2) Masters of Science scholarships strictly for female candidates for studies tenable in the Department of Forestry, Biodiversity and Tourism at Makerere University, Kampala. Read full details here: MSc. Call for Reforest Scholarships_2023
By Jacqueline Kajembe Ph.D. student under REFOREST Programme at Sokoine University of Agriculture Introduction Value chain analysis is increasingly perceived as an important aspect to agricultural business development. In Muheza and Morogoro there are several agricultural products including spices, maize,…
Tigabu Redae PhD student under REFOREST Programme at Sokoine University of Agriculture During my studies and at SUA in Tanzania, I got the opportunity to learn about various tropical ecosystems and their management and challenges. I got equipped with different…
By Nishimwe Gaudence (PhD student under REFOREST Programme at Sokoine University of Agriculture) Background of the study In Rwanda, the exceptionally high rate of population growth (insert the rate hereof about 2.4% annually) has resulted in negative impact on physical…
By Sintayehu Tamene Beyene – Hawassa, Ethiopia Introduction Potentially beneficial plants are becoming extinct worldwide largely due to a lack of effective documentation. In Ethiopia, the loss of indigenous medicinal plants could be attributed to secrecy maintained by the traditional…
By Christine Kalembe Mwanja PhD student under REFOREST Programme at Sokoine University of Agriculture The Department of Forest Biomaterials and Technology at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in Uppsala Sweden, undertakes training and research in forestry and forest…
By Nanyika Kingazi PhD student under REFOREST Programme at Sokoine University of Agriculture Introduction Plant pollination by bio-agents is one of the most important ecosystem services essential for both natural ecosystems and crops. It is estimated that 87.5% of the…
By Joshua Stanley Maguzu – PhD student under REFOREST Programme at SUA Background This study is being conducted at Sao Hill and Shume forest plantations in Tanzania. The Sao Hill Forest Plantation (SHFP) is in Iringa Region in the Southern…
Tree phenology observation in the plot The world is experiencing increases in mean temperatures due largely to various anthropogenic polluting activities. This is leading to shifts in weather patterns and subsequently to climate changes at global scale. This trend is…
REFOREST students and their lecturers during an excursion in Mazumbai montane forest Western Usambara-Tanzania (Photo credit: Mazumbai staff) Forestry is the science or art of managing forests. There are two types of forests i.e. naturally grown (natural forests) and planted…
REFOREST students, their lecturers and Sauti Moja Village leaders during an excursion in Southern Tanzania (Photo credit: Alberto Manhica) In Tanzania, the forests are classified and managed under the following arrangement i.e. forests managed by the central government (16,610,581 ha),…
Sida funded REFOREST students and their lecturers during an excursion in Southern Highlands of Tanzania (Photo credit: QGEC staff) Tanzania being a middle-income country, is focusing more on industrialization to spur economic development. Forestry sector is one of the key…
Sida SUPPORTED REFOREST PROGRAMME STUDENTS WAITING FOR COVID 19 VACCINATION AT SUA HOSPITAL Sokoine University of Agriculture together with the REFOREST Programme organised voluntary vaccination for Forest Sciences PhD students. This was in response to a request made by the…
Above: REFOREST students and lecturers at Kilombero Sugar Company (Photo credit Alberto Manhica) Like all developing countries, Tanzania strives to enhance affordable, accessible and environmental friendly energy supply for its socio-economic development. The development of renewable energy has been of…
Reforest students and instructors at Amani Nature Reserve – Mbomole view (1050 m.a.s.l) (photo credit: Alberto Manhica) Tanzania’s rich biodiversity positions the country as one of the mega-biodiversity hotspots in the world. The coastal and Eastern Afromontane are of special…
PhD students and instructors from the Sida funded REFOREST Programme at Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) during the agroforestry field excursion to Morogoro and Dodoma regions. Background is the maize drought resistance experiment at Manyusi Village, Kongwa District (Photo credits:…
The REFOREST Programme organized a combined face-to face and zoom workshop from 20th to 22nd January 2021 to orientate resource persons involved in teaching the PhD courses during the first semester (January-June 2021). The 25 participants came from all the…
Group Photo: PhD Forest Sciences Students with various University Leaders during the opening session of the orientation week program (11th January 2021) A total of twenty deserving PhD Scholarship applicants were awarded REFOREST PhD scholarships to undertake the PhD Forest…
In May, 2020 REFOREST Programme hosted at Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) and supported by Sida announced a call for 20 PhD scholarships in Forest Sciences. Following this call, the programme received 334 applications (18% were female). REFOREST Programme Academic…
On 23rd May 2020, REFOREST Programme invited applications for PhD scholarships in Forestry supported by Sida and organized by the College of Forestry, Wildlife and Tourism at Sokoine University of Agriculture in partnership with Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences –…
SOKOINE UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE College of Forestry, Wildlife and Tourism – REFOREST Programme Background The College of Forestry, Wildlife and Tourism of the Sokoine University of Agriculture, is coordinating a regional research school in forest sciences (REFOREST) Programme (financed by…
