Duncan Ongeng Department of Food Science and Postharvest Technology Gulu University, Uganda A snapshot In contemporary Africa, gone are the days when universities were largely seen as ivory towers driving the elitists’ agenda. Time has come for African higher education institutions to re-orient to reflect the practical realities of African societal development and transformation needs. This is particularly important because of the increasing demand for African universities to do more to facilitate co-creation and to mediate meaningful delivery of development-driven solutions enabling societal prosperity in the continent. This article brings to the fore the complex power wedges that entangle African […]

By Kipkogei Chemitei, Associate Program Officer, TAGDev 2.0 Program, University of Eldoret, Kenya Many agricultural universities in Kenya began as farmer training centres. Egerton University, founded in 1923, was established to build practical agricultural skills among settlers and local communities. University of Eldoret shares a similar history. A reference to the institution, then the Government Experimental Farm Eldoret, appears in the Kenya Gazette Notice Vol. 23, No. 754 of 2nd February 1921, when Mr. James Johnson was appointed as its manager. It was later converted into a Large-Scale Farmers’ Training Centre in 1946, before being transformed into Moi Teachers’ College […]

By Nimrod Muhanguzi, Program Officer Digital Economy Integration, RUFORUM Secretariat, Kampala Introduction The conversation around AI in education often tilts toward pessimism, with fears of job displacement, eroded critical thinking, and ethical pitfalls dominating headlines and social feeds. Yet beneath this, a growing chorus highlights transformative potential, including personalized learning at scale, equitable access in underserved regions, and tools that free educators to focus on what humans do best, inspiring and mentoring students. This thought piece draws on recent research and the State of AI Report 2025 to map “where the wind is blowing.” We shall unpack fears, counter with […]

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By Chinyelu Irene Nwokolo, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria During my first degree, some persons asked, “Why agriculture when your friends are chasing engineering or medicine?”, this story is just the perfect answer. For the past two (2) weeks I’ve been living in a whirlwind of meetings, discoveries, and connections at the 21st RUFORUM Annual General Meeting (AGM), held at the Gaborone International Conference Centre (GICC) from 24th November to 5 th December 2025. It wasn’t just an AGM, it was a living classroom, a reminder that agriculture is a lifestyle, not a checkbox. “If you don’t own your narrative, nobody will […]

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The 21st RUFORUM Annual General Meeting (AGM) convened in Gaborone, Botswana from 1st – 5th December 2025, set the scene for renewed commitment to doing things differently in repositioning Africa’s universities as engines of transformation. Guided by the theme “Positioning Africa’s Universities and Higher Education Sector to Effectively Impact Development Processes on the continent,” the AGM brought together 1,112 participants (34% female) from 45 countries, among them, government ministers, 85 Vice Chancellors and Deputy Vice Chancellors, senior university leaders, researchers, industry players, students and development partners. Together, they advanced concrete actions to strengthen the role of Africa’s higher education in […]

Dr. Sadik Kassim  National Agricultural Research Organisation, Uganda Discussant during a Plenary Session on Nurturing talent, RUFORUM AGM 3rd December 2025, Gaborone, Botswana Introduction I am happy to participate at RUFORUM’s 21st Annual General meeting held under the theme ‘’Positioning Africa’s Universities and the Higher Education Sector to effectively impact development processes on the continent’’. I am particularly pleased to be a discussant during the plenary session on the theme ‘’Leadership for Science’’ and focusing on the topic, From Doctoral Education to National Science Leadership. I ought to share my experiences and career shaped by RUFORUM as an alumnus. These […]

By Maureen Agena War, migration, and prolonged conflict have disrupted higher education across Africa, leaving millions of young people without stable pathways to learning or employment. In countries such as South Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, and the Central African Republic, many universities have been destroyed or repurposed, lecturers displaced, and entire cohorts of students forced to abandon their studies. For many, the journey into exile whether to Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, or beyond, comes with additional barriers such as lost academic records, unfamiliar education systems, and limited financial support. As conflicts continue to uproot families and […]

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RUFORUM 2025 AGM – Gaborone, Botswana:  Dumelang! With this warm Setswana greeting, an assembly of continental educators, scholars, partners, governments and researchers were officially welcomed to the 21st RUFORUM Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Gaborone International Conference Centre (GICC). The event is hosted by the Government of Botswana under the theme ‘Positioning Africa’s Universities and the Higher Education Sector to effectively impact development processes on the continent’.   In its 21st edition, the RUFORUM AGM places deliberate emphasis on doing things differently, challenging long-standing approaches in order to accelerate progress and deepen partnerships across the continent. Throughout the programme, […]

By Maureen Agena The African Union’s Agenda 2063 articulates a clear continental ambition, to unlock Africa’s potential to feed itself and to harness the transformative power of its greatest asset, its people. While natural resources remain abundant and diverse, Africa’s long-term prosperity hinges on the strategic cultivation of human capital through robust, forward-looking education systems. Like many governments across the continent, the Government of Botswana, the host of the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM)’s 21st Annual General Meeting (AGM) aligns closely with the Sustainable Development Goals of zero hunger and no poverty. It also upholds the […]

By Maureen Agena RUFORUM 2025 AGM – Gaborone, Botswana: Across the continent, universities in Africa are graduating a rapidly expanding cohort of PhD and postdoctoral researcher scientists whose work will influence health systems, food security, climate resilience, and technological innovation. Yet, even as the demand for scientific leadership grows, structured leadership and mentorship training for early-career researchers remains thin, inconsistent, or in many cases, entirely absent. When many young scientists become deeply immersed in their research and receive little guidance on the leadership skills that shape successful academic and scientific communities, a leadership problem emerges. To respond to this emerging […]

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Hosts: The Government of Botswana; and RUFORUM member Universities in Botswana led by Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources Venue: Gaborone International Conference Center, Moremi 1, Gaborone, Botswana Date: 3rd December 2025 Time: 14.00-16.30 SAT Read the concept note here

Read the full concept note here.