Are you passionate about leveraging digital innovation and artificial intelligence (AI) to drive sustainable trade and food systems in Africa? Do you want to contribute to bridging the gap between academia, industry, and policy to create real-world impact? Join the STREAMING project as a PhD researcher and be part of a transformative initiative aimed at fostering fair, healthy, and environmentally sustainable trade practices across Africa and Europe. If so, this PhD position might be for you! The STREAMING project seeks to address the challenges of sustainable trade within Africa and between Africa and Europe and help transform the informal food sector and its climate resilience by promoting innovation, entrepreneurship, and the adoption of digital solutions in African food systems. As a PhD researcher, you will play a key role in advancing the project’s objectives, particularly in the areas of digitalisation, transparency in the food sector, and sustainable trade practices.
You will analyse the gaps between current and desired future states of digital adoption in African trade systems and contribute to providing actionable recommendations for policy and practice. You will conduct cutting-edge research on the adoption and scaling of digital solutions, including AI, to enhance trade transparency, traceability, and certification in Africa. You will investigate trade systems and compliance with global transparency standards for trade, including the adoption of global standards (e.g., GS1, UN-EDIFACT) and traceability applications for farmers, producers, traders, and other stakeholders. In collaboration with ministries, trade organisations, and stakeholders, you will contribute to the implementation of digital innovation platforms and advance national digital platforms, such as the iHUZO and IREMBO platforms in Rwanda, to support intra-African and Africa-EU trade.
You will be part of a dynamic, interdisciplinary research team within the STREAMING project, collaborating with leading universities, research institutions, and industry partners across Africa and Europe. You will publish high-quality research articles and present findings at international conferences to disseminate knowledge and influence policy. The project offers a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of digital innovation, sustainable trade, and policy analysis, with a focus on real-world impact.
You will work here This PhD position is embedded in the
Information Technology Group at Wageningen University. The candidate will be co-supervised by
Dr.ir Ayalew Kassahun and
Dr. Cor Verdouw.
The mission of the
Information Technology Group (INF), led by
Prof. dr. ir. Bedir Tekinerdogan, is to advance the field of smart systems engineering and informatics through education, research, and collaboration. We conduct cutting-edge research in AI, data science and software engineering that pushes the boundaries of knowledge and addresses real-world challenges in sustainable energy transition, agri-food, health, business, and society. We work closely with industry, government, and other academic institutions to create a vibrant ecosystem of innovation, where our ideas can have a tangible impact on people’s lives. Our group consists of almost 50 members (staff, post-doc and phd) from all around the world. We offer an inclusive working environment and welcome all international applicants for this position.