GRÓ Land Restoration Training Programme graduates 22 fellows from 11 countries
The GRÓ Land Restoration Training Programme (GRÓ LRT) celebrated the graduation of 22 fellows from its six-month training in ecological restoration and sustainable land management at a ceremony held at the Agricultural University of Iceland’s Keldnaholt campus.
The 2026 graduating cohort includes professionals from 11 partner countries across Africa and Asia. Nine countries are represented from Africa: Ghana, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and Ethiopia, alongside fellows from Mongolia and Uzbekistan. This year marks the first time that GRÓ LRT has graduated fellows from Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, Cameroon, and Rwanda.
The graduation ceremony also marked a new chapter for GRÓ LRT, with both new and familiar faces taking part. Guðrún Guðjónsdóttir, Acting Director of GRÓ LRT, opened the ceremony and reminded the fellows that graduation is not an ending, but the beginning of the next part of their journey. She emphasised the importance of taking the knowledge, skills, and experiences gained during their time in Iceland back to their home countries and putting them into practice.
María Erla Marelsdóttir, the newly appointed Director-General of GRÓ, also addressed the fellows and guests. The ceremony took place on her third day in the position, making it a particularly meaningful occasion as she welcomed the new graduating class and marked the beginning of her work with GRÓ.
Neba Estherbel Bih, a MAB fellow from Cameroon, spoke on behalf of the graduating class. In a heartfelt address, she reflected on the importance of the knowledge and skills gained during the programme, but highlighted that it was the people they met along the way that would remain one of the most valuable parts of their experience. The friendships, conversations, shared experiences, and connections made among the fellows and with people they encountered during their time in Iceland had become an important part of their journey.
The fellows represent GRÓ LRT’s partner institutions, including ministries, environmental agencies, local authorities, the Red Cross, universities, and research institutions. The cohort also included fellows working within UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme.
The GRÓ Land Restoration Training Programme is hosted by the Agricultural University of Iceland and has provided six-month postgraduate training in ecological restoration and sustainable land management since 2007. Over the years, the programme has brought together professionals from countries facing different challenges related to land degradation, creating a space for them to learn from Icelandic experience while also sharing knowledge and perspectives from their own countries.
The ceremony was closed by Dr Ragnheiður I. Þórarinsdóttir, Rector of the Agricultural University of Iceland, who congratulated the fellows on their achievement and welcomed everyone to refreshments on the third floor of the Keldnaholt building.
We warmly congratulate the fellows of 2026 and wish all 22 of them every success as they take the next step in their journey and continue their important work in sustainable land management and ecological restoration.
