Events 2018-09-07: Graduate Students from Ghana and Tanzania in the 5th Meeting of the Avian Immunology Research Group at the University of Oxford, England

The GIP Innovation Lab’s commitment to training and outreach, three graduate students from the University of Ghana and Sokoine University Agriculture, Princess Korkor Botchway, James Mushi, and Gaspar Chiwanga, were invited to participate in the 5th Meeting of the Avian Immunology Research Group (AIRG), which was held on September 2018 at the University of Oxford, England. This conference is the premier event for researchers, students, and poultry professionals involved in the poultry immunology and disease. This years’ conference brought together about 220 delegates from all over the world. Princess, James, and Gaspar had the opportunity to give presentations on the results associated with growth rate and immune response to Newcastle disease in local chicken ecotypes in Ghana and Tanzania, during which they shared the main results of our NDV vaccine trials that were run in Ghana and Tanzania. Princess also received the Global Challenges Research Fund. The students also had an opportunity to participate in the African Researchers Global Challenge Workshop to discuss further collaboration and foster new developments in avian immunology and disease research in Africa. They also strengthened their professional network and had discussions with experts in the poultry industry about how these advances can be applied to breeding programs – particularly for smallholder poultry farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. Here is what they shared about their experience at the AIRG.

Princess Korkor Botchway “Presenting my work to different scientists boosted my confidence and interaction skills. I would like to apply some of these technologies from the AIRG in my research to help improve the avian industry in my country.”

Gaspar Gaspar Chiwanga “I was able to share my research experience and information with other scientists. The experience will also assist me in my studies and career through learning from experienced scientists.”

James Mushi “It expounded my thinking on to what needs to be done further to improve chicken poultry production, especially chickens in the Tanzanian environment. I also learned new presentation skills, interaction with the audience in questions and response sessions, and gathering of remarks from fellow scientists.”