Rhodes University’s Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science has partnered with three universities across the continent on a project to expand the PhD curriculum for potential growth in sustainable aquaculture.
Rhodes University’s Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science has partnered with three universities across the continent on a project to expand the PhD curriculum for potential growth in sustainable aquaculture.
Aquaculture is a form of fishery science where fish are farmed in controlled environments rather than harvesting wild fish commercially.
Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (Malawi) invited Rhodes University along with the University of Eldoret (Kenya) and Makerere University (Uganda) in an effort to improve research within the field.
“We are trying to improve the standardised level of PhD education across the sub-continent," Rhodes Senior Lecturer Clifford Jones told Grocott's Mail.
"And in doing so it will hopefully make all of these PhD curricula comparable, which means that people will not feel they have to leave Africa in order to go and get a good education.”
Jones sees this as a way to share knowledge which is mutually beneficial to everyone involved. This will be done through potential exchange programmes where staff and students can travel to the other universities as well as co-supervising projects.
“It’s not a case of us at Rhodes trying to impose what we do; it’s definitely a two-way relationship. Hopefully we will have something to impart and vice versa,” he said.
Although, this project focuses on the progress of higher education, the hopes are that it will lead to improvement on all levels.
“It means that these learners can go back to their home countries and use what they have learnt to help people within their communities who rely on these industries," he said.
"On a grassroots level, we hope that people will take what they learn and go back into society to apply what they have learned.”
Although aquaculture as a science gives hope for more sustainable food security, Jones feels that it is by no means the only solution.
“Aquaculture is not the answer, but it is an answer.”
