Emeritus Professor Umezuruike Linus Opara

Prof. Opara graduated with degrees in Agricultural Engineering (BEng First Class Honours & MEng cum laude) at 
the University of Nigeria, PhD at Massey University, New Zealand. He is Emeritus Professor of Postharvest 
Technology at Stellenbosch University, where he recently completed the 15-year cycle of the South African 
Research Chairs Initiative as DSI/NRF SARChI Chair and Distinguished Professor, and founded the Africa 
Institute for Postharvest Technology. He has published over 450 peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters and 
conference papers, edited two books, and graduated over 75 PhD/MSc students. He was recognised in 2019 and 
2021, respectively, as “Highly Cited Researcher”. His numerous prestigious international awards and honours 
include Laureate of the African Union Kwame Nkrumah Continental Award for Life and Earth Sciences, Impact 
Research and Science in Africa Award for “excellence in research & building Africa’s human resources capacity” 
by RUFORUM, Distinguished Researcher Award at Sultan Qaboos University and inaugural Laureate of AFRICA 
Research Excellence Award by AFREXIMBANK/FARA. He was founding President of the Pan African Society for 
Agricultural Engineering and past President of the International Commission of Agricultural and Biosystems 
Engineering. Currently the foundation Executive Director of the UNESCO International Centre for Biotechnology, 
Nigeria.
https://www.sun.ac.za/english/faculty/agri/postharvest-technology
https://www.linkedin.com/in/umezuruike-linus-opara-a024bb38/?originalSubdomain=za