APPEAR Alumni & Scholars

Pioneering Research in Animal Breeding in Burkina Faso
Dr. Dominique Ouédraogo has built a notable career in sustainable animal breeding. After completing his PhD at BOKU University as part of the APPEAR-funded LoCaBreed project, he became an Assistant Lecturer at the University Centre of Ziniaré in 2021. Just a year later, he achieved habilitation and was appointed Head of the Department of Animal Husbandry. Currently, he leads research projects like LocaBreed2.0 and PigFaso, collaborating with institutions across Africa and Europe. His work highlights the role of capacity building in advancing agricultural sciences in Burkina Faso.
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Championing Sustainability, Gender Equity, and Academic Excellence in Ethiopia
Meseret Desta, Associate Professor of Forests and Livelihoods at the University of Gondar, is a leader in sustainable land use and ecosystem services. She had served the university as president for five years. This was a major shift in terms of gender balance in university leadership, as Meseret was the first and only woman to hold a senior leadership position. Meseret collaborates with Austrian institutions, earning her PhD from BOKU, Vienna, and contributing to EU Erasmus+ projects on energy management. She has guided 30+ MSc and PhD students, published widely.
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Bridging Cultures and Improving Nutrition in Ethiopia
Tekeba Nega has more than 30 years of professional experience in the food and nutrition sector in Ethiopia as an extension worker, researcher, director and consultant working in various organisations, e.g. Ethiopian Meat and Dairy Industry Development Institute and USAID. He has also coordinated several projects and stresses that engaging with different socio-ecological and multilingual societies in Ethiopia has given him greater opportunities to understand their culture, values, and traditions. Tekeba Nega completed his PhD at BOKU University in 2012.
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