UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI

Their core work

The University of Nairobi is East Africa's leading research university, contributing deep regional expertise in food systems, agricultural livelihoods, and human security to European-African research partnerships. Their H2020 work focuses on understanding how African communities — particularly smallholder farmers, agro-pastoralists, and urban populations — cope with food insecurity, climate stress, and social disruption. They bring on-the-ground fieldwork capacity in Kenya and broader Sub-Saharan Africa, connecting European research consortia with local knowledge, data collection networks, and community access that would otherwise be impossible to obtain.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

UoN's early H2020 engagement (2016–2018) centered on social sciences — human security, gender, conflict, refugees, and urban vulnerability — reflecting a strong anthropological and development studies orientation. From 2019 onward, the focus shifted decisively toward applied environmental and agricultural challenges: water governance, food systems, agro-pastoralism, groundwater hydrology, and sustainable farming intensification. This trajectory shows a university moving from describing African development challenges to actively contributing to climate-resilient food and water solutions.

UoN is increasingly positioned as a go-to African partner for applied food security, water management, and climate adaptation research — expect continued growth in these areas.

How they like to work

UoN operates exclusively as a participant or third-party contributor — they have never coordinated an H2020 project. They consistently join large, multi-country consortia (185 unique partners across 45 countries), which signals they are well-networked and trusted as a regional knowledge provider rather than a project driver. For potential partners, this means UoN brings reliable African fieldwork capacity and local institutional access without competing for the coordination role.

With 185 unique consortium partners spanning 45 countries, UoN has one of the broadest collaboration networks of any Kenyan institution in H2020. Their partnerships bridge European research institutions with Sub-Saharan African field sites, making them a key connector in EU-Africa research cooperation.

What sets them apart

UoN is the principal Kenyan gateway for EU-funded research requiring on-the-ground African expertise. Unlike European partners who study Africa remotely, UoN provides embedded fieldwork infrastructure, local ethics approvals, community trust, and trained research teams already operating across East Africa. For any consortium building an Africa-focused proposal in food, water, health, or climate, UoN offers institutional credibility and operational capacity that smaller African partners cannot match.

Highlights from their portfolio

• FOODLAND
  Largest single EC contribution to UoN (EUR 446,125), addressing the full food supply chain from agro-biodiversity to consumer behaviour across African and European contexts.
• ANTHUSIA
  A flagship Marie Curie network on human security in Africa, linking anthropology with development, conflict, health, and environmental change — a uniquely interdisciplinary scope.
• LEAP-RE
  A strategic EU-African Union partnership on renewable energy running to 2026, positioning UoN in long-term continental energy research cooperation.