Researchers and postgraduate students at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) on Friday, June 19, 2026, presented research projects addressing challenges in health, agriculture, manufacturing, and environmental sustainability during the AFRICA-ai-JAPAN Project Poster Competition.
The competition, supported by the Government of Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), brought together participants from diverse disciplines to present research projects funded under the AFRICA-ai-JAPAN Project’s four innovation centres namely; the Innovation Centre for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (iCMoB), Innovation Centre for Bio-resources (iCB), Innovation Centre for Computing and Technological Solutions (iCCATS), and the Innovation and Prototyping Integrated Centre (iPIC).
The 16 presentations highlighted innovative solutions in geothermal energy, additive manufacturing, eco-friendly technologies for environmental protection, artificial intelligence applications in healthcare, antimicrobial resistance, post-harvest loss reduction, crop productivity enhancement, and efficient methods for detecting persistent malaria parasites.
Several of the projects formed part of postgraduate student research and reflected the project’s commitment to addressing Africa’s development challenges through science, technology and innovation.
Speaking after the presentations, JICA engineering expert at the AFRICA-ai-JAPAN Dr. Shohei Aoki described the event as a major success, noting that it attracted the highest number of participants since the competition was introduced.
He observed that the forum had become an important training ground for young researchers, helping them strengthen their presentation techniques, poster design capabilities and science communication skills.
Dr. Aoki also commended the evaluators who volunteered their time to evaluate the projects. He noted that each presentation was reviewed by more than five evaluators, a deliberate approach aimed at ensuring fairness and minimizing bias during the judging process.
Beyond the competition, the event provided a valuable opportunity for interdisciplinary learning. Researchers were exposed to ideas, methods and technologies from fields outside their own areas of specialization, creating avenues for collaboration and innovation.
The interactions enabled participants drawn from Engineering, Agriculture, Computing Technology, among others, to discover techniques and analytical approaches that could be adapted to their own research, demonstrating how knowledge generated in one discipline can inspire new applications and solutions in another.
Supported by JICA since 2014, the project continues to nurture a vibrant research ecosystem that promotes scientific excellence, knowledge exchange and the practical application of research findings for socioeconomic development.
The winners will be announced at a later date.