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This dialogue explores the challenges faced by agricultural education in Africa and highlights the role of RUFORUM in fostering collaboration, training, and advocacy for sustainable rural development. It discusses the need for improved capacity, quality, equity, labor market linkages, and alignment with development needs in agricultural education. The dialogue also emphasizes the importance of building partnerships, mobilizing resources, and tracking the impact of higher education in agriculture.
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GCHERA World Dialogue on Education and Innovation in Agriculture and Life Sciences: Universities as Entrepreneurs for Sustainable Rural Development Engaging Universities in ECSA to Promote Relevant Graduate Training and Outreach Programmes Paul Nampala, PhD Programme Manager, Competitive Grants System
RUFORUM – a regional platform that fosters collaboration, coordination and learning amongst African universities and other actors • An INNOVATOR that catalyzes change within Universities in terms of training, research and related management aspects • A CATALYST and COORDINATOR for partnerships and collaboration within the countries and across the region • An INFORMATION & KNOWLEDGEBROKER • A REPRESENTOR and ADVOCATE of Universities and their stakeholders
TAE Challenges in Africa TAE in Sub-Saharan Africa faces five main challenges: • Demand increasingly exceeds capacity- improved primary, secondary education programmes; • Quality Issues: lack of resources, human capacity –proliferation of TAE institutions; burgeoning private programmes • Inequity: gender, socio-economic • Missing linkages with labor markets- growing private and civil society sectors; • Mis-match with development needs- skills mix • Inadequate incentive structure, lack of financing
Key Premises for RUFORUM Operations • CAADP Launched in 2003; what is the role and contribution of African Universities? • The “Lost Decade” in Africa for HE: FAAP outlines principles for the needed reforms - BUT no funding earmarked for HE • FARA NARS Assessment Report 2005 – very weak NARS institutional and human resource capacity: calls for urgent response
Rationale for RUFORUM 2004 • Foster integration of African Universities into the national agricultural innovation systems; • Provide a platform for training quality graduates to support development processes in Africa, especially CAADP in response to FARA NARS Review • Rationalize resource use and enhance economies of scale and scope; • Provide a platform for networking, resource mobilization and advocacy for TAE in Africa, and • Tracking impact of HE and initiate foresight planning
Egerton , Nairobi, Moi & Kenyatta KENYA Universities, JKUAT Egerton , Nairobi, Moi & Kenyatta Makerere Universities, UGANDA JKUAT University Makerere University MALAWI Bunda College of Agriculture Bunda College of Agriculture ZIMBABWE Africa University Africa University & University of Zimbabwe & University of Zimbabwe Universidad Eduardo Mondlane MOZAMBIQUE Eduardo Mondlane Experiences - Phased expansion in response to demand 1992 - 2006 Present Expansion has been in scope, countries and within countries
RUFORUM- The Change we Want High performing African universities that strive to produce skilled, proactive graduates, demand driven research output and innovation in response to regional and national agricultural development priorities. RUFORUM becomes Regional Reference Point Increased Influence of RUFORUM alumni Increased Influence of RUFORUM Universities
Framework for Desired/Effective University Engagement Knowledge Attitude Aspirations Skills Institutional Development Personal Development Students Universities Community Use of Knowledge Services Community Action Research Sustainable prosperity
Facilitate the creation of responsive university programmes, (research, training and outreach) that deliver competent graduates trained to support farmers and SMEs establish sustainable agri-food value chains and enterprises Action Points Building Intra-ACP and global partnerships for peer leaning and mutual support Shifting from Outreach to engagement
Hierarchy of Community Empowerment Citizen Control Empowerment Delegated Power Partnership Placation Tokenism Consultation Outreach Informing Therapy Nonparticipation Manipulation
Promoting Engagement with CAADP Processes • Engaging universities in the CAADP processes through launch of National Forums • Pilots established in 8 countries already : Kenya; Malawi; Mozambique; Rwanda; Tanzania; Uganda; Zambia; Zimbabwe • 4 additional by the end of 2013: Burundi; DRC; Ethiopia, Swaziland
Working with End-users & Private Sector • Launch of Community Action Research projects to strength engagement with communities and Agribusiness • 3 Pilots using Value Chain approach • To Launch pilot University Field Attachment Programmes to support transformation of smallholder farmers from subsistence to commercial farming
EAFF WP2-WP1 Mobilizing research and non-research stakeholders for Europe-Africa ARD collaboration IAO FANRPAN CSA - WP5 - Bringing partners together around common innovation challenges (=federating themes) COLEACP FARA CTA - WP4 - Strengthening capacities of stakeholders to work in inclusive balanced partnerships -WP6- Advocate with research funders for support to inclusive partnerships - WP3- Providing tools for knowledge sharing and access to information RUFORUM ICRA PROPAC NRI FARA CIRAD WP7: Management & Coordination: FARA-AGRINATURA
Catalyzing change in Teaching, Research and Outreach • Delivery • Curriculum • Quality Assurance • Credit transfers • Adapting LMD systems in Francophone countries
Gender & Emerging issues • Increase in the participation and voice of women in agricultural research, production and marketing • From 4% (1992) – 8% (2004) – 43% (2013) • Climate Change – A regional Programme established at UoN • Biotechnology and Seed Systems – Programmes in place to build capacity in this area • Innovations and Business Incubation Centers
Human Capital Development • Commitment to train 800 Masters student by 2015 – Target already met • Commitment to train 150 PhDs – as of 2013, 104 are undergoing training; 38% already graduated • Students completing on time (Masters – 2 years; PhD – 3- 4 years) and publishing in International Peer-Reviewed journals • Universities integrating e-learning approaches • A Regional harmonized Quality Assurance & Credit transfer framework for postgraduate training developed and ready for piloting
Where do RUFORUM Graduates go? 31% Research Organizations 800 RUFORUM M.Sc. & PhD Graduates Universities 10% Industry 27% Extension Ph.D training 6% 15% Policy NGOs 3% 8%
“The higher the skills and expertise, the greater the value that is added to the materials processed. The greater the “added value”, the higher the wages.” Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew 1969
Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM)Plot 151 Garden Hill, Makerere University Main CampusP.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda.Tel.: +256-414-535939Email: secretariat@ruforum.orgURL: http://www.ruforum.org