Welcome to my website!

I am pursuing a PhD in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness within the College of Economics and Business Studies at Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), with research focusing on women’s economic empowerment programs, the food value chain, and rural-urban livelihoods.

Prior to undertaking my PhD studies, I held the position of Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Trade and Investment under the College of Economics and Business Studies, where I was actively involved in teaching, consultancy, and research.

During my Master’s studies in Agricultural Economics at Egerton University, I collaborated with Prof P. Mshenga (Egerton) and Dr V. Afari Sefa (ICRISAT). Additionally, I have been fortunate to be mentored by Dr. Zena Mpenda and Dr. Christopher Magomba from Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), who have greatly contributed to my career development. This experience allowed me to develop expertise in multidisciplinary fields, including value chain studies, agricultural policy, commodity investment, and private sector development. 

At present, I am a visiting student at IIT in India and a recipient of the prestigious IDRC PhD Fellowship for the 2022 cohort. I am also an active member of the African Network of Agricultural Policy Research Institutes (ANAPRI) and the Agricultural Economics Society of Tanzania (AGREST). 

For additional details, please refer to my resume.

Feel free to reach out to me at aika.aku@sua.ac.tz if you have any questions!