Agricycle UNSW: How to win friends and influence our future

More than eight years ago, UNSW sponsored a group of students to visit Gulu University in Northern Uganda with the hope of bolstering student relationships between the two schools and opening the door to future collaboration. It was during this trip that UNSW’s Professor Julien Cox met Gulu University student Moses Ocen.

Their passion for environmental conservation was more than enough to bridge any cultural gaps, and by the end of the trip, the pair had envisioned a joint project between two student-led organisations: AgriCycle.

A key area of research at Gulu University involved the production of charcoal briquettes from agricultural waste, including rice and corn husks, creating a renewable energy source while managing waste in a meaningful way.

 It was the students’ idea to elevate this concept to more than just research; it had the potential to improve the lives of many people in the local communities who were still recovering from impacts of the civil war in the early 2000s. Moving forward, AgriCycle Uganda would establish social programs to introduce sustainable fuels to locals, while outsourcing technical design and research tasks to AgriCycle UNSW.

This was the vision the two groups shared when it was time for the Australian contingent to return home. While the idea held great promise, communication between the two student groups slowed during the global pandemic. And as new executive members were elected to the groups each year, the once-strong bond slowly reduced to sporadic calls and emails.

In 2025, President of AgriCycle UNSW Jordan Mai decided it was time for this to change.

“It was obvious that we needed to reignite the foundational, personal bonds that were initially lit between us.”

And with the help of the Humanitarian Engineering group, Jordan was able to organise a second trip to Uganda for six society members. Not knowing what to expect, the group set off in September 2025.

Once they had arrived and regained their bearings, it didn’t take long for strong friendships to forge once again. In visits to local communities, as well as AgriCycle Uganda’s briquette production and tree seedling nursery sites, AgriCycle UNSW witnessed the incredible amount of work and dedication that their Ugandan counterparts had been investing over the years.

It was clear that the Ugandan team had done what they could with what little they had, and AgriCycle UNSW felt compelled to respond with whatever help they could offer. It was with this in mind that they decided on three new projects that would stretch into the coming years.

Firstly, AgriCycle aims to design a low-cost solar array to power the briquettes production facility, which currently runs on toxic diesel engines. They also hope to aid with the digitalisation of AgriCycle Uganda’s operations, creating a brand-new online interface to increase efficiency and allow for better evaluation. Finally, they have already taken steps towards implementing a soil monitoring program to guide future Agroforestry initiatives.

“The actions we undertake now can facilitate the futures of many. So, given the chance, we should and must give all of our support.”

Monthly WhatsApp calls have been established between the two groups, and while reception is not always good, spirits remain high. Agricycle UNSW has weekly meetings for each project and hopes to have substantial progress to report by September 2026.

If you would like to get involved or have any questions, contact agricycleunsw@gmail.com