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University World News Region is not reaping rewards of Higher Education investment – Study (Africa) Universities in Sub-Saharan Africa have failed to equip the region’s fast-growing youth population with market-driven skills needed for prosperous and equitable societies, and the region’s countries are not reaping the rewards of their investment in tertiary education, according to a new study by the World Bank. The report, The Skills Balancing Act in Sub-Saharan Africa: Investing in... Read More 0

Standard Digital University of Nairobi to scrap 40 courses (Kenya) The University of Nairobi is scrapping more than 40 courses as the Ministry of Education reforms plan starts to bite. A confidential document seen by the Sunday Standard reveals that some of the courses at the university had not attracted any students for the last five years. The document – rationalisation of academic programmes – tabled in the University Senate further says... Read More 0

About RUFORUM: The Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), established in 2004, is a consortium of 114 universities in 38 countries in Africa. The organisation evolved from the Forum on Agricultural Resource Husbandry (FORUM) programme of the Rockefeller Foundation. RUFORUM is registered as an International Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) and undertakes activities to strengthen Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation development in Africa in line with its Vision 2030 Strategy.... Read More 0

Background The Department of Zoology, Entomology and Fisheries Sciences (ZEFs), College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS), Makerere University is partnering with the National Fisheries Resources Research Institute (NaFIRRI) of the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO), McGill University, Canada and NUTREAL Limited to implement a 3-year multidisciplinary project focusing on “Harnessing dietary nutrients of under-utilised fish and fish processing by-products to reducing micronutrient deficiencies among vulnerable groups in Uganda” – NutriFish.  The overall aim... Read More 0

Prof. Ongeng the Dean Faculty of Agriculture and Environment at Gulu University said that Universities can no longer work in isolation, there is a critical need to build more synergies with other players such as TVETs, and private sector so as to enhance actual contribution of Universities to community transformation.  This was part of the wider call to action during the first Agrienterprenurship symposium which took place from 25th to 26th May... Read More 0

Under the auspice of the project “Transforming African Universities to Meaningfully Contribute to Africa’s Development (TAGDev)” with funding from the Mastercard Foundation, the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) organised a training on academic proposal writing and scientific data management for Masters and PhD students from the Faculty of Agriculture and Environment from Gulu University. The training took place from 1st to 5th July 2019 in Churchill Courts Hotel... Read More 0

Kampala 03 July 2019 The Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), a consortium of 114 Universities in 38 African Countries, is pleased to announce the 2019 RUFORUM Young African Entrepreneurs Competition (RUYAEC). The overall purpose of the RUFORUM Young African Entrepreneurs Competition (RUYAEC) is to catalyse entrepreneurship through promotion of business innovation and provision of seed funding to young entrepreneurs with creative and innovative business ideas among African youth.... Read More 0

Kampala 03 juillet 2019 Le Forum Régional des Universités pour le renforcement des capacités en agriculture (RUFORUM; www.ruforum.org), un réseau de 114 universités dans 38 pays africains, a le plaisir d’annoncer l’appel à proposition d’innovations dans le cadre du concours des Jeunes Entrepreneurs Africains. L’objectif global de cette compétition est de promouvoir l’entrepreneuriat à travers le financement des innovations d’entreprise des jeunes entrepreneurs Africains ayant des idées créatives et innovantes. A travers... Read More 0

The Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) is a network of 114 Universities in 38 African Countries. RUFORUM will be holding its 15th Annual General Meeting (AGM) from 2nd to 6th December 2019 at University of Cape Coast, Ghana. As part of the AGM series, RUFORUM invites researchers, opinion leaders, and development experts to submit review papers, technical/research articles and opinion papers under the listed thematic areas. High quality... Read More 0

Kampala 01 July 2019 The Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) is pleased to release the draft programme for the fifteenth Annual General Meeting (AGM) which is scheduled for 27th, November – 09 December, 2019 at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) in Ghana.  The theme of the Annual General Meeting is Delivering on Africa’s Universities Agenda for Higher Agricultural Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (AHESTI): What will it... Read More 0

In a meeting held on Sunday 23rd June 2019, the Senate of University of Gezira (Sudan), awarded an Honorary Doctorate to Prof. Adipala Ekwamu, Executive Secretary of the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM). Prof Adipala was recognised for his outstanding scientific achievements as a university professor, his strong belief in Africa driving its agenda and in higher education being key to the development in Africa. The University Senate... Read More 0

Bishop Stuart University (BSU) in Uganda has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with PUM Netherlands senior experts to gain from PUM’s expertise in setting up business incubators.  In this two-year agreement, signed in February 2019, BSU staff and students will benefit from capacity building activities offered by PUM. The two organisations will also jointly engage with small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs), the wider business community in the region as well as government... Read More 0

University World News Understanding the impact of grants at universities (Africa) Since Africa’s earliest modern public universities were established on the continent in the 1940s, these institutions have struggled to generate adequate and sustainable funding. For the most part, universities on the continent depend on money from national governments; grants; donations from international donor communities and industries to fund their learning, teaching and research activities. But most lack proper institutional evaluation to... Read More 0

University World News Predatory journals in the firing line (South Africa) South Africa’s Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) has begun clamping down on academics publishing in predatory journals, withholding at least ZAR62 million (US$4.2 million) in subsidies during the 2016-17 academic year, with further action on the cards once a study is completed, according to Mahlubi ‘Chief’ Mabizela, a senior department official. “Predatory publishing is a threat to the credibility... Read More 0

Le Partenariat pour les compétences en sciences appliquées, ingénierie et technologies (PASET) est une initiative pilotée par le continent africain avec l’objectif de renforcer les compétences en sciences appliquées, en ingénierie et en technologies afin de poursuivre la transformation socio-économique de l’Afrique subsaharienne. Le Fonds Régional de Bourses d’études et d’Innovation (RSIF) est le programme phare du PASET. L’objectif principal du RSIF est de former des doctorants et postdoctorants de haut niveau... Read More 0

The Partnership for skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (PASET) is an African-led initiative with the objective of strengthening skills in the Applied Science, engineering and Technology to further socio-economic transformation in sub- Saharan Africa (SSA). The Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (RSIF) is the flagship program of PASET. The primary objective of RSIF is to train high quality PhD and post-doctoral students to address the human resource gap of highly... Read More 0

Prof. Achille Ephrem Assogbadjo of the University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin, has won the 2019 Young African Researchers Award.  He was selected for “authenticity and quality of scientific research in the field of Agriculture and Food Sciences. The award was given to him by the Academy of Scientific research and Technology (ASRT) of Egypt. The 2019 award was announced by the ASRT Council of the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology at its... Read More 0

  The Transforming African Agricultural Universities to meaningfully contribute to Africa’s growth and development (TAGDev) Programme at Egerton University held its second National Forum from 12th to 13th March 2019 in Naivasha, Kenya. With the key objective of creating and promoting linkages between agricultural education, training, labour markets and policy makers, the National Forum brought together participants from several universities, Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions (TVETs), development partners, agricultural industry... Read More 0

RUFORUM wishes to engage the services of an External Auditor of international reputation for the year 2019-2020 in accordance with the statutory requirements, International Reporting Standards Guidelines and International Standards on Auditing (ISA). RUFORUM therefore, invites eligible firms to submit their proposals for the provision of external audit services to RUFORUM. Interested firms should provide proposals demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform this Services. Firms are... Read More 0

Prof. Patience Mshenga, one of the pioneer RUFORUM supported PhD graduates, was on May 2nd, 2019 appointed to serve on the Executive Board of the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA). ASARECA is an inter-governmental organisation comprised of 12 member countries set up to address the common challenges and opportunities to agricultural research and development through collective action. On the board, Prof. Mshenga will represent higher education... Read More 0