Professor Judith Kamoto Makes History as First Female Full Professor at Luanar

Professor Judith Kamoto, a renowned expert in forestry and natural resources, has made history by becoming the first female full professor at the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (Luanar) in Malawi. Her remarkable journey to this milestone began in 1988 when she enrolled at Bunda College to study Agriculture and Rural Development. She obtained a diploma in 1992 and a Bachelor of Science degree in 1994, marking the beginning of her distinguished career in academia and forestry.

Kamoto's academic pursuits continued as she earned a Master of Science degree in Tropical Forestry from Wageningen Agricultural University in the Netherlands in 1999. She then joined Bunda College as a lecturer and spent over two decades combining teaching, research, and leadership. Her research has focused on forest governance, gender and land tenure, livelihoods, nutrition, and community-based forest management. Kamoto's work has been widely recognized, and she has published over 20 journal articles and contributed to several book chapters and conference papers.

Throughout her career, Kamoto has held various leadership positions, including deputy head of the Forestry and Horticulture Department, head of the Forestry Department, deputy dean of the Faculty of Natural Resources, and acting vice principal. In 2022, she became the acting college director, a position she held until July 2025, before assuming the substantive position of college director in August 2025. Her leadership responsibilities have included academic and institutional management, research funding, curriculum development, and student administration.

Kamoto's research has had a significant impact on the field of forestry and natural resources, with a focus on decentralised forest governance and community-based forest management in Malawi. Her doctoral research examined the gap between policies and systems intended to protect natural resources and the benefits people actually receive from them. She has also been involved in climate and carbon research using permanent sample plots and has contributed to the development of the Maputo Declaration on the sustainable management of Miombo woodlands.

According to Kamoto, one of the reasons it took so long for a woman to attain the rank of full professor at Luanar is the lack of recognition of female multiple roles within academia in Malawi. Female academics often have to balance professional responsibilities with reproductive and community roles, requiring them to put in extra hours to deliver the same results as their male counterparts. Kamoto's achievement serves as a testament to her hard work and dedication to her field.

As the first female full professor at Luanar, Kamoto has brought over 10 research projects to the university, contributing to its research work and creating opportunities for knowledge production. Her scholarly work includes publications in prestigious journals such as "Nature Food and Conservation Letters." She has also supervised several students and has been involved in various institutional initiatives, including the development of curriculum and student administration.

Kamoto's groundbreaking achievement is expected to inspire more women to pursue careers in academia and forestry. Her work continues to focus on the relationship between natural resources and human wellbeing, with a particular emphasis on the governance of forests and the benefits they provide to local communities. As she continues to lead and inspire, Kamoto's legacy as a trailblazer in her field is cemented.

Key points

• Professor Judith Kamoto becomes the first female full professor at Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources in Malawi.
• Kamoto's research focuses on forest governance, gender and land tenure, livelihoods, nutrition, and community-based forest management.
• Her achievement serves as a testament to her hard work and dedication to her field, inspiring more women to pursue careers in academia and forestry.