Vision:

Mentoring (education and training) is a major focus of Mazingira Centre and addresses students, postdoctoral researchers, technicians and farmers. Our measurements and analysis in the laboratories are based on Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs) which can be found below for download.

Thereby we aim to provide relevant background information about scientific facts and theories as well as about experimental methodology and scientific writing, to encourage and train students to think critically and develop problem-solving skills in an inter-disciplinary, international setting. We challenge students to be innovative and to explore new frontiers of science and their applications to current problems of a fast changing society. Additionally our approach is designed to implement findings gathered within scientific observations directly in the field (ie. during focused farmer training courses).

Using various teaching and coaching approaches, our goal is to communicate science and to foster a scientific atmosphere that allows students, technicians and early-career scientists to learn by many different ways, to become aware of the manifold interactions among the civil society and the environment as well as to gain a profound understanding of what scientific good practice means.

The Mazingira Centre invests in capacity development at different levels:

• Drawing MSc and PhD students from across Africa and beyond

• Training of laboratory technicians

• Mentoring Africa’s future environmental and agricultural production scientists through sabbaticals and workshops

• Training smallholder farmers on basic agricultural interventions that increase productivity, ensure climate resilience and reduce the environmental footprint

• Summerschools for PhD candidates on environmental measurements in agricultrual production systems
• Technical trainings for line ministry staff

Farmer training to prepare dairy meal (left), training on GHG sampling in the field (right)

Training in standard operational procedures (left) and on maintaining sensitive analytical equipment such as gas chromatographs (right).

Mazingira Seminar Series (2020):

The Mazingira Seminar series aims at providing a platform for our students and guests to present on ongoing research and critically discuss recent findings. The seminar takes place every other week when there is no labmeeting on Tuesdays from 10-11am at Mara House, Mara Meeting Room on ILRI campus. The agenda for seminar series can be accessed here: AGENDA

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs):

The Mazingira Centre applies and developed Standardized Operating Procedure (SOPs) for each analysis we carry out in the field and laboratory. For better understanding for students and technicians as well as for the availability for external customers these SOPs can be shared. Kindly contact us via email.