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