Professor Frans Swanepoel is a Research Fellow in Residence at the University of Pretoria’s Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship. With a PhD in Animal Breeding and Genetics (graduate coursework completed at Texas A&M University, USA), his early research career spanned more than a decade. During this time, he did pioneering research in beef production science and obtained international recognition, as confirmed by his South African National Research Foundation (NRF) rating. His research interest advanced to smallholder agricultural production systems, agricultural education and training, and agricultural research and innovation leadership in Africa. In this context, during the past 15 years, he has worked extensively in a leadership or advisory capacity with several African actors on agricultural research and capacity development on the continent.
