August Temu, World Agroforestry Centre Per Rudebjer, Bioversity International

1. Enhancing Integrated Approaches in Agricultural Learning Systemsusing experiences from agroforestry August Temu, World Agroforestry Centre Per Rudebjer, Bioversity International Presented at: 2nd World Congress of AgroforestryNairobi, Kenya, 25 August 2009 Session 24: Integrating disciplines through agroforestry education

2. Integrated farming systems Market influence Traditional knowledge Risk mitigation Social & institutional factors Structurally complex Crops, animals, trees, NTFPs Off-farm work Policy influence Intuitive sense of how to manage integrated systems

3. Universities’ segregated organization of knowledge Agriculture Veterinary science Fisheries Animal science Forestry Agricultural technology Natural sciences Economics and management Human ecology

4. Reductionist learning systems • Knowledge un-packed into bits and pieces • 1st year: great number of un-connected, small courses • Synthesis courses towards the end of the programme • Employment in a segregated professional system Mis-match between farming systems and learning systems

5. Agroforestry sciencetools and methods for integrated approaches Participatory domestication of fruit trees

6. Enhancing integrated learning throughagroforestryeducational networks in Africa & SE Asia • 200 universities and technical colleges • Participatory curriculum design and review • Training • curriculum development • social and technical areas of agroforestry • Teaching and learning resources • Research opportunities in international context • Networking & exchange of faculty and students • Policy advocacy for integration of disciplines

7. Strategies for integration in curricula • Incremental inclusion in courses and programmes • Opportunistic inclusion in existing courses • New courses during curriculum review • Major in agroforestry, or full programme, especially at MSc level • Agroforestry as alternative discipline • Agroforestry: new professional area (Philippines) • Integration during institutional re-structuring • Mergers of faculties and departments

8. Lessons learned • Changes taking place within existing institutional structures • Uneven, slow adoption of integrated approaches

9. Lessons learnedconstraints to mainstreaming External environment • Rigid job markets and career pathways • Policy restrictions • Sectorized professional networks Institutional structures and behaviour • Disciplinary boundaries in faculties and departments • ‘Turf’ issues • Conservatism and resistance to change

10. Constraints to mainstreaming Education and research processes • Slow, rigid process for curriculum change • Segregated, reductionist research programmes • Focus on bio-physical sciences • Lacking multi-disciplinary approach • Few publication outlets for integrated approaches to science

11. Human capacity Low competence in ‘soft’ sciences among bio-physical faculty & vice versa Limited acquaintance with integrated tools and methods for research and teaching Constraints to mainstreaming

12. Lessons learnedSuccess factors • Visionary goals • Consistent, long-term effort • Using opportunities within on-going courses • ‘back-door’ approach to curriculum change • Timing with regular curriculum review • Champions • Trained faculty & leaders • Participation of stakeholders • Align with national policy framework

13. Drivers of global changehow will universities respond?

16. Actions requireduniversities • Address complex, integrated systems in curricula • Teach innovation systems approaches • Participatory problem-solving as a learning tool • Dealing with both depth and width of problems, e.g. drivers of global change • Discuss trade-offs and feedback mechanisms

17. Actions requiredpolicies • Acknowledge integrated knowledge and skills • Review institutional structures and processes to facilitate multi-disciplinary problem solving • Create incentives for integrated approaches • Recognize and reward biodiverse, complex farming systems • Role of agroforestry and agricultural biodiversity in adaptation to climate change

18. Segregated solutions Integrated solutions Responses to global challenges? Education for sustainable agricultural development

19. Thank you!