THE REGIONAL UNIVERSITIES FORUM FOR CAPACITY BUILDING IN AGRICULTURE (RUFORUM) Platform for...
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Transcript of THE REGIONAL UNIVERSITIES FORUM FOR CAPACITY BUILDING IN AGRICULTURE (RUFORUM) Platform for...
THE REGIONAL UNIVERSITIES FORUM FOR CAPACITY BUILDING IN AGRICULTURE (RUFORUM)
Platform for Mobilising African Universities for Development Relevance
Prof. Emmanuel KaundaBunda College of Agriculture
World’s Youngest People
Global Median Age in 2010
3
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
RUFORUM founded by African Vice Chancellors to:
• 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;
• Rationalize resource use and enhance economies of scale and scope; and,
• Provide a platform for networking, resource mobilization and advocacy for TAE in Africa
Where we operate
• African owned; aligned to regional and national frameworks (AU, NEPAD, CAADP etc)
• Mandate from COMESA to oversee graduate training and networks of specialization
RUFORUM’S Theory of Change
RUFORUM Impact statement: High performing African Universities that strive to produce quality graduates, demand driven research output and innovation in response
to regional and national agricultural development priorities
RUFORUM Network Outcomes:
Strengthened African professionals that
generate knowledge and train the next generation of agriculture scientists
Increased participation of women in
agricultural research and training
Strengthened African institutions that generate
and increase access to agricultural technologies,
information, strategies and practices
RUFORUM becomes a regional reference point
for higher agricultural education and
agricultural development
knowledge
Secretariat Outputs:
Implementation of appropriate research processes facilitated
Establishment and management of regional training
programs catalysed
Staff and students imparted with relevant skills and competencies
Functioning of the RUFORUM Network
facilitated
Preconditions within the Secretariat:
ICT harnessed for improved performance at the Secretariat and
Universities
Strengthened M&E with effective culture of learning
Effective and efficient management and governance systems
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RUFORUM’s Business Principles
RUFORUM’s strategy is built on the principles of:1. Grounding agricultural research in the hands of a well-informed
critical mass of locally based professionals2. Quality postgraduate training3. Relevance of research, training and related services responsive to
farmer needs and innovation opportunities4. Leverage as a network across 17 countries and 29 universities for
collective action 5. Affordability of joint university programmes building economies of
scale6. Retention of capacity through farmer and employer demand7. Financial Sustainability through recovery of all direct and indirect
costs for staff and operations, while building a Capital Reserve Fund reflective of clients evolving needs
RUFORUM Model
• The type of FORUM that engages all relevant stakeholders:– The farmers engaging with faculty and students– Government agencies, NGOs, the private sector and other
development agencies engaged in research and interacting closely with universities on policy and curricula
– MSc & PhD graduates with the right experience– Universities that act collaboratively to share ideas and
resources– Unique participation by university Vice Chancellors who
pay their own costs of participation in board meetings.
Students, university staff,
agricultural professionals
Individual universities
RUFORUM Network
RUFORUM
Agricultural and higher educational environment
Including policy, institutions, infrastructure,
human and natural resources, geographic
location
The consortium of universities, its
governance organs, the
Secretariat and national fora
RUFORUM’s stakeholders including farmers and their
communities, farmer associations, NARES, NGOs,
rural finance, IARCs etc
The universities that make up RUFORUM
The individuals that RUFORUM directly
engages with
RUFORUM Stakeholders
RUFORUM Strategic Goals
1. Capacity building (MSc, PhD, Post-doctoral & short courses)2. Rationalized resource use for training & research3. Innovative structures for training, research and outreach4. Impact-oriented research in universities 5. Increase in the participation and voice of women in
agricultural research, production and marketing6. Increase the use of technology to support effective,
decentralized learning and the sharing of knowledge7. Advocacy, coordination & resource mobilization
RUFORUM Governance Structure
RUFORUM Board of Directors
International Advisory Panel Secretariat Technical
Committee
National Forums
Deans Committee
Regional Thematic Groups
AGM
How we operate
• Regional programmes for building capacity for capacity building - PhDs
• Competitive grants for enhancing rural innovation- GRG/ CARP/ FAPA
• Institutional/ nurturing grants• Collective resource mobilisation at Regional
level• Support individual/ groups of universities• Networking
Strategic Partnerships
• Rely on existing extensive network that brings together over 15,000 faculty and non-academic experts
• Continue to build strategic alliances with key partners (AGRINATURA, SUPAGRO, ICRA, WUR, KIT, AU, NEPAD, AGRA, FARA, AAU, RECs, COMESA, EAC, IGADD, CORAF, ASARECA, EU, SADC, ANAFE, IUCEA, CGIAR, APLU, AIAU, CTA, IFS, etc)
• Partnerships and Linkages with research institutions critical for improving quality of training
• Significant Support from the EU partners
End-User Driven Collaborative Agricultural Research for Food & Nutrition Security
Community Action Research Projects (CARPs) - $300,000 Grant Value
Purpose is to demonstrate innovative approaches that strengthen engagement between universities, farmers, communities and development agencies on problems with relevance;
Designed to encourage universities to develop partnerships and invest in sustained action research over time within a particular community or in a selected commodity along the full value chain;
Focus on linking action research lessons & experiential learning into curriculum and enhancing relevant of graduate training to development challenges.
RUFORUM TC in Dowa, Malawi
Looking Forward- RUFORUM & CORAF & ANAFE
1. Joint initiatives with Universities in West Africa – Mobility and exchange of staff and students– Joint research and lesson sharing (best practices)
2. RUFORUM Regional Training programmes respond to CAADP needs
3. Advocacy for African tertiary higher education (ANAFE and other Networks)
4. Increased linkages and collaboration between universities and research institutions in CORAF region
– RUFORUM scoping for move to West Africa