Prof. Kowero obtained his Doctorate in 1983 from the University of Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania. He also has an Honorary Doctorate (Doctor Honoris Causa), from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.


He has a M.Sc. (Wildland Resources Sciences) from the University of California, Berkley, M.Sc. (Forestry economics) and B.Sc. (Forestry) both from University of Dar es Salaam. He has 10 years of international research in forestry economics, management, policy analysis and extensive modelling in forestry with the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), as a Senior Scientist and Regional Coordinator. This involved working with donors (fund raising) and many governments, institutions and individuals within and outside Africa.He has vast experience (over 20 years) in planning, evaluating, reviewing and monitoring academic, development and research programmes in forestry and related fields, both in Africa and outside Africa.

He has 20 years of experience in teaching in several universities, namely the University of Dar es Salaam, Sokoine University of Agriculture (both in Tanzania); the Eduardo Mondlane University (EMU) in Mozambique, and Moi University in Kenya ; at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels in the areas of policy formulation and analysis, economics and econometrics, operations research, forest management and administration.

He also has extensive experience in establishing and administering forestry and related institutions (i.e. institutional development, governance and financial management). For example, he facilitated establishment of CIFOR Regional Offices in West Africa, Central Africa, and Eastern & Southern Africa. He was CIFOR Regional Coordinator for Eastern and Southern Africa for 7 years. Also at Sokoine University of Agriculture, he has served as the head of the Department of Forest Economics.

At EMU, he was Head of the Department of Forestry as well as Director of the University Directorate of Scientific Affairs. He has also held other important administrative positions as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Tanzania Wood Industry Corporation designated by the President of the United Republic of Tanzania. He was also the leader of a pan-African initiative namely “Sustainable Forest Management in Africa” between 2006 and 2008.He guided the establishment of the African Forest Forum (AFF) in 2007, and has since been its Executive Secretary.

AFF is a pan-African forestry institution based in Nairobi, Kenya. He has led and worked with various multidisciplinary and multinational/cultural teams in many of his activities. He has worked on many issues in his areas of speciality in all major forest types in Africa: the rain forests, woodlands and savannahs; as well as in the administration of forestry related institutions, wood processing industry, including marketing and trade.

He has 70 peer reviewed publications, including chapters in books, and books.

He is member of professional and similar organizations like the Commonwealth Forestry Association, Tanzania Association of Foresters, Tanzania Academy of Sciences, African Academy of Sciences, and the Advisory Board of the World Bank Programme on Forestry (PROFOR).