Dr. Judith Henze

Responsibilities at the SLE
Research Associate in SLE RESEARCH

SLE RESEARCH: Coordination of the NUTRiGREEN Project in West Africa, Digitalization in agriculture

Career profile

Professional background in International Relations and Sustainable Development, PhD 2019 at Humboldt University of Berlin on "Innovation in Agriculture: the potential, challenges and adoption and diffusion of aquaponics and cell phone applications in Kenya".

Research interests: sustainable innovations in agriculture, with a particular focus on ICTs. ICTs, Internet of things, AI, Blockchain, gender access and usage patterns of ICTs, ICTs for sustainable, transparent, and resilient food systems, digital research methods to collect quantitative & qualitative data, food security, aquaculture, aquaponics, human-wildlife conflicts. Current research approach: using Artificial Intelligence to support farmers and food systems and minimize human-nature conflicts.

Short Curriculum Vitae
Since 06/2021

Research fellow for SLE RESEARCH, Centre for Rural Development (SLE), Albrecht Daniel Thaer-Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

06/2012 - 11/2019 PhD at the Humboldt University Berlin, FG Urban Ecophysiology. Topic: "Innovation in Agriculture: The Potential, Challenges and Adoption and Diffusion of Aquaponics and Mobile Phone Applications in Kenya"; Scholarships: DAAD, Heinrich Böll Foundation & Foundation for Tropical Agricultural Research.
07/2019 - 06/2021

Consultant for the Centre for Rural Development (SLE): Creation of a digitisation strategy, preparation of four project applications for HORIZON 2020, BLE and BMZ, establishment of partner network

03/2017 - 02/2019

Business Development Manager - GreenLab Berlin (greenlab.berlin); Business development, partner and customer acquisition, planning and implementation Social media strategy

07/2014 - 2019

Founder and director - M-Samaki: mobile phone app for fish farmers in Kenya

03/2016 - 12/2016

Consultant - Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in Kenia (www.giz.de)

2012 - 2013

Research assistant - Albrecht Daniel Thaer Institute of the Humboldt University of Berlin (agrar.hu-berlin.de) Project assistant, support work for accepted third-party funding application in the amount of 4.5 million euros for initiative of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research

02/2011 - 10/2011

Future City Leaders Projekt Assistentin - ICLEI Welt Sekretariat in Bonn (iclei.org)

10/2009 - 01/2011

Head of Research - Fundamental Media, London (fundamentalmedia.net); planning and implementation of (financial) research projects in Europe, Asia and Africa; professional and disciplinary responsibility for 5 employees

06/2007 - 10/2009

Media assistant - Fundamental Media, London (fundamentalmedia.net)

2007 - 2009 MSc in Environment and Sustainable Development, University College London (UCL), London, England. Thesis “Climate Change, Vulnerability and Rice Production in Bali, Indonesia”
09/2006 - 04/2007

Intern - Regional Community Forestry Training Centre for Asia and the Pacific (RECOFTC), in Bangkok, Thailand (recoftc.org/site)

01/2006 - 05/2006

Intern at GreenWeeks (Celebrate Sustainability 2006) (greenweeks.org)

2003 - 2006 B.A. International Relations and Global Politics, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, England
Selected Publications
  • Henze, J. Paganini, N. and Stöber, S. (2020). “Farmer-led research to examine the challenges, coping strategies and innovations of local food producers and city dwellers during the pandemic. In Kara, H. and Khoo, S. “Researching in Times of Crisis. Section 3: Engaging in Co-Creation”. Bristol University Press.
  • Henze, J. (2020). “Production and Marketing of African Indigenous Leafy Vegetables - Training Manual for Extension Officers and Practitioners” SLE Publication.
  • Henze, J. (2019). “Innovation in Agriculture: The Potential, Challenges and Adoption and Diffusion of Aquaponics and Mobile Phone Applications in Kenya” Berliner ökophysiologische Schriften. Band 48. Cuvillier Verlag Göttingen.
  • Henze, J. and Ulrichs, C. (2016) “The Potential and Limitations of Mobile-learning and other services in the Agriculture Sector of Kenya Using Phone Applications“,12. European International Farming System Association (IFSA) Symposium. Conferenz.
  • Henze, J. und Ulrichs, C. (2015) “Aquaponics and its potential for food security in Kenya” International Conference on Biodiversity for Food and Nutrition on Capacity Building, Poster presentation.
  • Martens, V. Oschmann, C. Henze, J. and Ulrichs, C. (2015) “The cultivation of Amaranthus in an aquaponic system” 50. Gartenbauwissenschaftliche Jahrestagung und Internationales WeGa-Symposium, At DE-Freising, Volume: 50 Book of Abstracts.