Two NRF Chair Appointments Strengthen UFH’s Research Footprint - University of Fort Hare | Together in Excellence
Source: https://www.ufh.ac.za/news/two-nrf-chair-appointments-strengthen-ufhs-research-footprint
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:32
Two NRF Chair Appointments Strengthen UFH’s Research Footprint - University of Fort Hare | Together in Excellence
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Two NRF Chair Appointments Strengthen UFH’s Research Footprint
Aretha Linden
April 23, 2026
The University of Fort Hare’s (UFH) research agenda has been firmly placed at the centre of South Africa’s national innovation drive. This follows the awarding of two National Research Foundation (NRF) Decadal Plan Aligned Research Chairs as part of the South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI).
Prof Anthony Okoh has been appointed to a Tier 1 Chair in Water Quality and Environmental Genomics, and Prof Amon Taruvinga has been awarded a Tier 2 Chair in Circular Economy: Leveraging Smart Technologies for Sustainable Ecologies, Food Security and Climate Resilience.
They are among 41 new Research Chairs launched by the NRF recently as part of a national effort to strengthen research capacity in historically disadvantaged and emerging universities
Speaking at the launch on 16 April, the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof Blade Nzimande, described the initiative as a “profoundly historic moment” for South Africa’s national system of innovation.
The Minister said it deliberately shifts research capacity to institutions such as UFH, while also ensuring that research responds more directly to societal challenges. He further warned of South Africa’s “innovation paradox” – strong research output but limited commercialization. He urged researchers to ensure their work extends beyond academic publication to real-world impact – a call that is strongly reflected in the work of both Prof Okoh and Prof Taruvinga.
Prof Anthony Okoh
Prof Okoh, a NRF B1-rated researcher, is a microbiologist with a long-standing research track record in water and environmental health, leading programmes that place UFH at the centre of national water security research.
His Tier 1 Chair focuses on three key areas: water/wastewater hygiene and sanitation, environmental genomics through exploitation of advances in omics technologies to answer pertinent research questions, and socio-economics, governance and ICT-enabled systems in water and environmental research. This includes surveillance of waterborne pathogens, epidemic preparedness and prevention, reservoirs of antibiotic resistance determinants, chemical toxicants, innovative technologies to mitigate challenges of environmental pollution.
“This is a clear testament that we are doing something good in our research endeavours at UFH,” he says. “It confirms that the work coming out of here is not only relevant locally but also recognised internationally.”
Prof Okoh’s approach is strongly applied, linking laboratory science with public health outcomes. “We are dealing with issues that affect everyday life, such as clean water, safe sanitation, and disease prevention,” he explains. “The Chair allows us to push the science further but also ensure it translates into solutions people can feel.”
A key component of his work is building research capacity. The Chair will support postgraduate training and postdoctoral development, with a focus on strengthening the next generation of water and environmental scientists. “Sustainability in research depends on people,” Prof Okoh notes. “We must invest in students and young researchers who will carry this work forward.”
Prof Amon Taruvinga
Prof Taruvinga is a revered scholar of Agricultural Economics; his Tier 2 Chair positions UFH within global debates on sustainability, climate resilience, and inclusive economic development through the circular economy.
“The recognition signifies a significant shift in my professional journey,” he says. “It also strengthens our responsibility to show how research can directly improve livelihoods.”
His research focuses on how circular economy systems can be applied at household and community level to improve food security, water and energy access, and climate resilience, particularly in rural and peri-urban areas.
“We are looking at how communities can turn waste into value. What is discarded can become a source of income, nutrition and resilience if the systems are designed correctly.”
The Chair is structured around five thematic areas: water and energy security, climate adaptation and mitigation, food and nutrition systems, sustainable agroecosystems, and employment creation. It will explore practical innovations such as biomass recycling, biochar production, indigenous crop systems, and locally relevant food production models.
A strong focus is also placed on youth and enterprise development. “We want to identify real economic opportunities in circular value chains,” he says, “so that young people are not just participants in the economy, but creators within it.”
The work will also include the development of digital tools and locally accessible platforms to support decision-making in agriculture, energy use and resource management.
Together, the appointments of Prof Okoh and Prof Taruvinga reinforce UFH’s growing research footprint in South Africa’s higher education landscape.
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Skip to content
Two NRF Chair Appointments Strengthen UFH’s Research Footprint
Aretha Linden
April 23, 2026
The University of Fort Hare’s (UFH) research agenda has been firmly placed at the centre of South Africa’s national innovation drive. This follows the awarding of two National Research Foundation (NRF) Decadal Plan Aligned Research Chairs as part of the South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI).
Prof Anthony Okoh has been appointed to a Tier 1 Chair in Water Quality and Environmental Genomics, and Prof Amon Taruvinga has been awarded a Tier 2 Chair in Circular Economy: Leveraging Smart Technologies for Sustainable Ecologies, Food Security and Climate Resilience.
They are among 41 new Research Chairs launched by the NRF recently as part of a national effort to strengthen research capacity in historically disadvantaged and emerging universities
Speaking at the launch on 16 April, the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof Blade Nzimande, described the initiative as a “profoundly historic moment” for South Africa’s national system of innovation.
The Minister said it deliberately shifts research capacity to institutions such as UFH, while also ensuring that research responds more directly to societal challenges. He further warned of South Africa’s “innovation paradox” – strong research output but limited commercialization. He urged researchers to ensure their work extends beyond academic publication to real-world impact – a call that is strongly reflected in the work of both Prof Okoh and Prof Taruvinga.
Prof Anthony Okoh
Prof Okoh, a NRF B1-rated researcher, is a microbiologist with a long-standing research track record in water and environmental health, leading programmes that place UFH at the centre of national water security research.
His Tier 1 Chair focuses on three key areas: water/wastewater hygiene and sanitation, environmental genomics through exploitation of advances in omics technologies to answer pertinent research questions, and socio-economics, governance and ICT-enabled systems in water and environmental research. This includes surveillance of waterborne pathogens, epidemic preparedness and prevention, reservoirs of antibiotic resistance determinants, chemical toxicants, innovative technologies to mitigate challenges of environmental pollution.
“This is a clear testament that we are doing something good in our research endeavours at UFH,” he says. “It confirms that the work coming out of here is not only relevant locally but also recognised internationally.”
Prof Okoh’s approach is strongly applied, linking laboratory science with public health outcomes. “We are dealing with issues that affect everyday life, such as clean water, safe sanitation, and disease prevention,” he explains. “The Chair allows us to push the science further but also ensure it translates into solutions people can feel.”
A key component of his work is building research capacity. The Chair will support postgraduate training and postdoctoral development, with a focus on strengthening the next generation of water and environmental scientists. “Sustainability in research depends on people,” Prof Okoh notes. “We must invest in students and young researchers who will carry this work forward.”
Prof Amon Taruvinga
Prof Taruvinga is a revered scholar of Agricultural Economics; his Tier 2 Chair positions UFH within global debates on sustainability, climate resilience, and inclusive economic development through the circular economy.
“The recognition signifies a significant shift in my professional journey,” he says. “It also strengthens our responsibility to show how research can directly improve livelihoods.”
His research focuses on how circular economy systems can be applied at household and community level to improve food security, water and energy access, and climate resilience, particularly in rural and peri-urban areas.
“We are looking at how communities can turn waste into value. What is discarded can become a source of income, nutrition and resilience if the systems are designed correctly.”
The Chair is structured around five thematic areas: water and energy security, climate adaptation and mitigation, food and nutrition systems, sustainable agroecosystems, and employment creation. It will explore practical innovations such as biomass recycling, biochar production, indigenous crop systems, and locally relevant food production models.
A strong focus is also placed on youth and enterprise development. “We want to identify real economic opportunities in circular value chains,” he says, “so that young people are not just participants in the economy, but creators within it.”
The work will also include the development of digital tools and locally accessible platforms to support decision-making in agriculture, energy use and resource management.
Together, the appointments of Prof Okoh and Prof Taruvinga reinforce UFH’s growing research footprint in South Africa’s higher education landscape.
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