STEM- Biofuel Innovation Mentorship Programme
The Ambassador of Switzerland to Tanzania, H.E. Didier Chassot (From left), Prof. Emmanuel Luoga Vice Chancellor NM-AIST and Prof. Charles Lugomela Deputy Vice Chancellor-PFA. During visiting EXAF funded projects at NM-AIST.
Dr. Thomas Kivevele, the Principal Investigator giving out the presentation on the EXAF-JFD funded project “Exploiting the potential of underutilized African plants and agricultural wastes in biofuels production” during the visit of ambassador at NM-AIST.
Group photo: Visiting of the Ambassador of Switzerland to Tanzania, H.E. Didier Chassot.

Projects under EXAF

Junior Faculty Development Programme

Talented young African professors are collaborating...

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100 PhDs for Africa programme

The joint EPFL-UM6P initiative “Excellence in Africa” has....

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Digital Education

The universities’ transition to digital education, including....

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Capacity building

We provide PhD scholarships in biofuels and Postdoc....

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Photo gallery

EXAF in Brief

The Excellence in Africa (EXAF) Centre at EPFL (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne) was created in 2020, with the aim of promoting digital technologies and academic excellence throughout the African continent through training, innovation and cutting-edge scientific research. In nutshell EXAF DNA is digital and excellence in research, training and innovation across an entire continent (Africa).

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The project main activities

Study various underutilized plants found in the region with high seed-oil contents for biodiesel production and agricultural wastes with high alkaline and alkaline earth metals.
Produce and characterize bio-based catalysts from selected agricultural wastes (coffee husks and cashew nutshells)
Produce and characterize natural antioxidants from Loquat fruit peels and pulps, leaves, barks and roots.
Produce and characterize biodiesel from selected underutilized plants using produced bio-based catalysts and compare its fuel properties to global and local standards
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Project Team

Dr. Thomas Kivevele (NM-AIST)

Principal Investigator

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Prof. Jeremy Luterbacher (EPFL)

Principal Investigator

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Dr. Michael Haule (NM-AIST)

Project Manager

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Testimonials

It is an honour to have been chosen as an EXAF-JFD program post-doc scholarship recipient. My career in renewable energy has always been very important to me, and being honoured in this way is quite humbling. Because life does not always go as planned, the EXAF-JFD Program scholarship is a blessing. I shall be eternally grateful for your gift, and I cannot express how grateful I am.

Dr.Baraka Kichonge

Lecturer Mechanical Engineering Department, Arusha Technical College (ATC)

I am grateful to the EXAF-JFD scholarship program for offering me the scholarship to pursue PhD in Materials Science and Engineering (energy materials) at the NM-AIST. The support will not only benefit me as an individual but also the institution for which I work, the NM-AIST.
As an academic, PhD is a mandatory qualification for my career development.

Mr. Wilson Mahene

Faculty member at the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology