Leicester experts involved in international project to strengthen climate research and education in Africa
Leicester researchers are working with East African countries to improve our understanding of heatwaves and droughts in a bid to build local expertise in physics, mathematics, climate science, satellite technology and space science.
Experts from the University of Leicester and the National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO) based at Space Park Leicester, are working with researchers from Rwanda and Tanzania at the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences Research and Innovation Centre (AIMS RIC) on the Innovation and Knowledge Integration for Resilience in East Africa through Climate Research and Education project (IKIRERE).
IKIRERE, led by Dr Rob Parker from the School of Physics and Astronomy, is part of the £10.7 million Africa-UK Physics Partnership Programme which is working to address a gap in physics research in Sub-Saharan Africa, where an IOP study showed only five per cent of research involves physics.
As part of the project, partners at AIMS RIC in Rwanda, including IKIRERE International Project Co-lead Dr Mouhamadou Bamba Sylla, are leading a capacity-building work package, with the UK team co-designing and supporting the delivery of activities. Most recently, a team from Leicester – Dr Cristina Ruiz Villena, Catherine Fitzsimons and Charlie Gamblin – travelled to Rwanda to support the 2026 IKIRERE Physics Camp and an Early Career Researchers (ECR) Academy. The Physics Camp challenged more than 30 pupils from 10 secondary schools to design and present projects combining physics, climate science, robotics and satellite technology. The Early Career Researchers (ECR) Academy brought together 33 early career researchers to strengthen skills in climate science, innovation, and research leadership.
Dr Cristina Ruiz Villena, of NCEO and the University of Leicester’s School of Physics and Astronomy, said: “Africa is particularly vulnerable to climate change because it depends on rain-fed agriculture. In IKIRERE, our aim is to improve our understanding of droughts and heatwaves in East Africa, supporting adaptation efforts and contributing to greater climate resilience across the region. Through our capacity-building activities, we aim to support the next generation of African scientists in developing the knowledge and skills needed to address environmental challenges across the continent.
“The two events we ran in Rwanda recently were part of the ongoing collaboration between the University of Leicester, NCEO and AIMS RIC and they were highly successful.
“We had a brilliant response to the ECR Academy which had more than 900 applications from across Africa for only 30 places.
“It was also fantastic to see senior school students taking part in a variety of hands-on experiments, interactive workshops and talks and working alongside early-career African researchers who are specialising in climate and space science at the Physics Camp.”
By combining scientific research with education and skills development, IKIRERE hopes to encourage more young people to pursue careers in climate science, satellite technology and space engineering.
At the Physics Camp, pupils spent a week building robots, monitoring weather patterns and designing satellite missions and had the chance to use tools and technologies used by researchers.
During the Early Career Researcher Academy, attendees developed practical prototypes, including a machine learning tool for crop monitoring, a text message based climate risk alert system for farmers, an air pollution exposure mapping tool, and a satellite data driven model to support crop rotation decisions.
Both events were supported by high-profile individuals and institutions in Rwanda, including the Rwanda Education Board, the Rwanda Space Agency and the Rwanda Ministry of the Environment. To learn more about the Africa-UK Physics Partnership Programme, visit https://www.ukri.org/news/africa-uk-physics-projects-to-drive-collaboration-and-innovation/
To explore Space Park Leicester partnerships, missions, residents, facilities, training programmes and innovation products, visit space-park.co.uk or to learn more about the University of Leicester visit le.ac.uk/.
Main image: Members of the Early Career Researchers Academy
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