Having completed his undergraduate and master’s degrees at Ethiopia’s Mekelle University and Haramaya University in Crop Science and Plant Pathology, respectively, Hurisa was drawn by the ACCI and UKZN’s School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences’ (SAEES) reputation for training plant breeders across Africa. His research at UKZN was funded by the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) through its Tropical Legume-III (TL-III) project.
The experience he gained through this research will contribute vital knowledge to Hurisa’s contributions to Ethiopia’s national common bean improvement programme, which seeks to implement holistic breeding systems and solutions.
Hurisa enjoyed the experience of studying at a foreign university, joining UKZN’s volleyball team while based at the University.
He thanked Shimelis and his co-supervisors, Professor Mark Laing and Dr Clare Mukankusi of CIAT for their guidance and support during his studies, and all the ACCI staff for their support. He credited the Ethiopian Institute Agricultural Research (EIAR) for providing research facilities and technical support, and CIAT’s TL-III project for its financial, technical and training support. He also expressed gratitude to his family for their encouragement and understanding while he completed his PhD.