As discussions on global food security continue to evolve, the value of learning across regions has become increasingly recognised in academic and scientific spaces. This was reflected in the recent visit by Prof. Alexander K. Kahi, to Kyoto University, where he delivered a special Lecture on Global Issues in Agricultural Science. Prof. Kahi is a Professor of Animal Breeding and Genomics at Egerton University’s Department of Animal Science and serves as the Director of CoELIB. He is a founding member of the African Animal Breeding Association (AABA) and sits on the Working Group on Animal Seed within the African Seed and Biotechnology Partnership Platform of the African Union.

The lecture programme is an intensive, credit-bearing course open to both Japanese and international students, offering a platform for lecturers to present regional and global perspectives on food security, agricultural innovation, and environmental sustainability. Prof. Kahi’s session contributed to this framework by providing evidence-based insights into African livestock systems and their role in sustainable development.

During his engagement, Prof. Kahi discussed the livestock sector in Africa, emphasising the continent’s rich genetic diversity and the potential of livestock to drive socio-economic transformation. The lecture reflected the course modules, which covered livestock production landscapes, socio-economic importance, breeding and conservation strategies, emerging genomic approaches, and future development pathways.

Central to the lecture was the work of CoELIB, which focuses on strengthening livestock innovation and business ecosystems in Africa. Through initiatives like the African Animal Breeding Network (AABNet), CoELIB supports capacity-building in quantitative genetics and genomics, professional development, and multi-country collaboration.

The lecture is an example of how knowledge transfer between Japan and Africa can strengthen understanding of livestock systems. While the two regions operate under different production conditions, technological capacities, and climatic realities, cross-regional dialogue provides students and researchers with opportunities to compare approaches, reflect on best practices, and explore adaptive strategies for resilient food systems.

“Earlier in June 2025, CoELIB hosted a guest lecture by Esther De Jong-Kapsoot and Suzanne van der Meulen from Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands. MSc and BSc students in Animal Science engaged in discussions on Value Chain and Stakeholder Analysis within the livestock sector. This initiative, part of an ongoing academic exchange between Egerton University and Van Hall Larenstein, illustrates how CoELIB fosters practical, cross-regional learning, complementing its broader work in livestock innovation, research capacity-building, and sustainable food system development.”