The Secretary General of the Association of African Universities (AAU) announced from the AAU Office in Accra, Ghana, that the selected winner of the AAU AWARD OF EXCELLENCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION AND RESEARCH IN AFRICA, is PROFESSOR KETO ELITABU MSHIGENI OF TANZANIA, WHO IS CURRENTLY THE VICE CHANCELLOR OF HUBERT KAIRUKI MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY, IN DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA. The award was conferred upon Professor Mshigeni at the AAU Annual General Conference in Abuja, Nigeria, held from May 4th to 8th, 2009. This win, in an Africa-wide competition, is a significant achievement, and a great honour to Tanzania, to the entire Hubert Kairuki Memorial University community, to Professor Mshigeni and his family, and to the various institutions associated with his academic and professional development.

Prof. Mshigeni got his Ph.D in Botanical Sciences from the University of Hawaii (USA) in 1974, Bachelor of Science (with Major in Botany and Geography, and Minor in Education) from the University of East Africa, Dar es Salaam University College, in 1969. Professor of Botany, Keto E. Mshigeni is a Fellow and Secretary General of the Tanzania Academy of Sciences (TAAS); Fellow and Member of the Governing Council of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS), and also of the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS). Prof. Mshigeni is also an Elected Fellow of the World Technology Network (WTN). He is Editor-in-Chief of Discovery and Innovation ( a joint journal of AAS and TWAS), and also a Member of the Editorial Board of the African Journal of Ecology). Highly regarded by his peers, Professor Mshigeni is currently External Member of the Council of the University of Namibia, and also of the Senate of Ardhi University, in Tanzania. He is a Commissioner, and Vice Chairperson of the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH), and also Chair of the Commission’s Biotechnology Committee.

On 10th November 2008, Prof. Mshigeni was awarded A MEDAL OF EXCELLENCE IN SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, BY THE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES FOR THE DEVELOPING WORLD (TWAS), at a ceremony held in Mexico City, Mexico, where he delivered a Medal Lecture titled, THIRSTY FISH IN WATERS OF ABUNDANCE: a paradox in the context of Africa’s development.

Also noteworthy, on 25th September 2008, the University of Namibia decided to honour Prof. Keto Mshigeni, BY NAMING A NEW, MODERN, STATE -OF- THE- ART MARICULTURE RESEARCH COMPLEX, AT THE SAM NUJOMA MARINE AND COASTAL RESOURCES RESEARCH CENTRE (SANUMARC) LOCATED AT HENTIES BAY, ALONG THE NAMIBIAN COAST, AFTER HIS NAME, “KETO MSHIGENI MARICULTURE BUILDING”. This was in recognition of the exemplary contributions he had made in promoting marine research and development in Namibia, and also in the planning, the growth, and the development of the University of Namibia (UNAM), when he served as Founding Pro - Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs and Research), as Founding UNESCO/United Nations University ZERI Chair for Africa, and also as Director of a UNDP Regional Project on Sustainable Development from Africa’s Biodiversity, based at the University of Namibia.

Conversant with University norms of teaching, research, publication, and rendering consultancy and advisory services to society, Professor Mshigeni has generated well over 100 scientific publications, appearing as international journal articles, as chapters in books, as books and booklets, and as conference proceedings. Over the years, he also generated many Consultancy Reports to agencies such as UNESCO, FAO, IDRC, NORAD, NUFU, and SADC Secretariat. In Tanzania, one of Professor Mshigeni’s significant contributions (apart from being the first Tanzanian full Professor of Botany at UDSM, was laying down the groundwork for the Directorate of Postgraduate Studies at the University of Dar es Salaam (as Founding Director) and for serving in the Directorate for a full decade. Another equally important contribution, was his innovative research on Tanzania’s seaweed resources, an activity that led to the successful introduction of seaweed farming in our rural coastal village communities. Professor Mshigeni’s work on seaweed research and development has, over the years, significantly contributed to poverty reduction in the seaweed farming communities, and especially towards improving the quality of life of coastal rural women (especially in Zanzibar), who are leading the way in seaweed farming activities.

Other previous honors earned by Professor Keto Mshigeni include:

• 1993: AAS/CIBA Prize for Agricultural Biosciences: in recognition of his contribution in successfully pioneering the seaweed farming innovation in Tanzania, and in Africa.


• 1994: Boutros Boutros Ghali (former UN Secretary General) Prize: winner for the Africa continent, in recognition of his scientific research contributions.

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