Latest Updates

  It is great that RUFORUM was able to host a pre-event for Principals and Deans to receive leadership and management training facilitated by the Partnership for African Social and Government Research (PASGR) during the 13th Annual General Meeting in Malawi. PASGR’s main aim is to increase capacity of academic institutions and researchers to contribute research that informs social policy and governance through collaborative higher education programs. The meeting took the form... Read More 0

The positive economic growth trends observed in most African countries in the 2000’s were in part, attributable to the broad macroeconomic policy reforms of the 1990’s and before. In response to more favorable policies, agricultural sector performance improved appreciably in some African countries (Badiane et al., 2017: unpublished presentation in Gaborone).  During the same period, a number of global and Africa-wide initiatives such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the comprehensive Africa... Read More 0

Proposal submission to RUFORUM Secretariat by 30th November 2017 The Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) is working for strengthening capacities of students to contribute to sustainable agricultural development, building resilience of small-scale agriculture, improving livelihoods and reduction of rural poverty in Africa. The goal is to ensure that the next generation of agriculture specialists and scientists from Africa are innovative, understand rural realities and have the commitment to... Read More 0

Many African countries especially those in sub-Sahara are endowed with abundant natural resources, ideal for the development of sustainable agriculture.  It is worth noting that nearly 80% of populations in sub-Sahara Africa depends on agriculture as the main source of livelihood of which, over 70% of these farmers are smallholder farmers. On top of abundant natural resources, African higher education sector is rapidly expanding providing platforms for creating new knowledge and technologies... Read More 0

During the just concluded RUFORUM 13th Annual General Meeting in Malawi this week, RUFORUM recognised individuals making a contribution in transforming their communities and institutions. A total of ten (10) awards were given during the official opening ceremony here in Lilongwe, Malawi. As a Network, RUFORUM periodically recognizes individuals and groups who have made significant contributions to development in the continent, and to their own countries, institutions, and society. We do this... Read More 0

During the 13th RUFORUM Annual General Meeting in Lilongwe, the RUFORUM Secretariat awarded outstanding scientists and farmers from Malawi for their exceptional work and contribution to agricultural development. Outstanding Lead Farmers in Malawi Five farmers from within Malawi were awarded for their outstanding work and leadership in farming in Malawi. These farmers were nominated by the local partners in Malawi and represented all regions of the country. One of the awardees, Ngabaghila... Read More 0

During the 13thAnnual General Meeting, RUFORUM recognized outstanding university scientists and leaders who have made significant contribution in the field of agricultural research and science for development in Africa, through the Impact Research and Science in Africa or IMPRESSA Award. The IMPRESSA Award, which is been run for the fourth round in 2017, recognizes outstanding university led contributions to development through agricultural research and science, human and institutional capacity building. The competitive... Read More 0

As one of the pre events of the Annual General Meeting (AGM), the Michigan State University (MSU) and the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) on the Innovation Scholar Program. The 15 month innovative capacity building program, is a creative collaboration between LUANAR and the Global Centre for Food Systems Innovation (GCFSI) under MSU. The ISP was developed by the two institutions based on the needs of the university community.... Read More 0

It gives us great pleasure as the Organising Committee, to invite you to the sixth RUFORUM Biennial Conference, 2018 also known as the ‘African Higher Education Week’ to take place 22 – 26 October 2018 at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC), Nairobi, Kenya under the Theme ‘Aligning African Universities to Accelerate Attainment of Sustainable Development Goals’. The main objective of the Conference   is to provide opportunity for African universities to demonstrate... Read More 0

RUFORUM  is challenged to respond to the rapid growth in diversity and numbers of its membership base and partnership arrangements in the face of increasing demands and declining availability of public finance and long-term development finance assistance. The RUFORUM 2030 Strategy seeks to ensure “vibrant transformative universities to catalyse sustainable inclusive agricultural development to feed and create prosperity for Africa”.  This mission is set within the context of the 2015 SDGs, Agenda... Read More 0

The Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) hosted a dinner for Vice Chancellors of RUFORUM member universities, International Advisory Panel, Technical Committee and other dignitaries. Ministers of Education present during the event include Hon. Bright Msaka from Malawi, Hon. John Muyingo from Uganda and Hon. George Kronnisanyon Werner from Liberia. Amongst the distinguished speakers was LUANAR’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. George Kanyama-Phiri who welcomed the guests on behalf of the university.... Read More 0

A third planning meeting was held for the technical task team for the Committee of 10 Heads of State in Lilongwe, Malawi.  The aim of the meeting is to bring together the core technical team and stakeholders to discuss the preparedness for the Committee of 10 meeting as well as to agree on the key documents to be presented. Further, case studies from around Africa on the status of higher education, science... Read More 0

Much of agriculture in Africa is in the hands of poor, scattered populations served by inadequate infrastructure for agricultural research, outreach and training. The national institutions serving agriculture often lack the capacity to undertake research and technology transfer on a meaningful scale. In addition, much work undertaken in Africa is lost as a rapid turnover of staff (a consequence of poor working conditions and facilities) destroys institutional memory. This is huge burden... Read More 0

In the past ten years Africa has seen tremendous growth in the demand for higher education and this can be witnessed by the ever-growing numbers of Higher Education Institutions (HEI) both private and public. This situation has been fuelled by several factors which include free secondary education from various governments propelling a surge in the numbers that qualify for higher education, improved society and emergence of the knowledge economy. There are also... Read More 0

The African Union has announced 2017 as the year to invest in the demographic dividend of the continent – “its youth”. Two hundred and twenty-seven million of the world’s chronically hungry live in Africa. This translates to approximately 30% of this group globally. Seven out of ten people living in sub-Saharan Africa are farmers (compared to that of the United States, where the ratio is two out of a hundred.) Africa holds 30%... Read More 0

New technologies, expanding populations, urbanisation and more varied diets all coalesce to set the stage for opportunities that will enable Africa to take advantage of its youth dividend and meet the aspirations of Agenda 2063, “The Africa We Want”. The current world agrifood system is inadequate – 815 million people hungry, 2 billion micronutrient deficient, and 700 million obese (108 million children) and yet the system still has high levels of waste... Read More 0

African higher education actors gathered in Pretoria, South Africa from 28th to 29th September 2017 to discuss a strategy for the implementation of the Regional Program for Strengthening Higher Agricultural Education in Africa (SHAEA) project and to lay out the practical steps necessary for its implementation, including activities at the regional level. The two-day consultative meeting was jointly convened by the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), a network... Read More 0

I, Mr David Ekepu, was born in a rural area of Eastern Uganda in what is now called Amuria district but spent most of childhood in Pallisa district where my father was working as a secondary school teacher. I attended pre-university education in the same area and only moved out of Eastern Uganda to join Makerere University – located in Central Uganda. During my undergraduate studies, I was inspired by several lecturers... Read More 0

Eligibility To be considered for the Borlaug Fellowship Program, candidates must: Be citizens of an eligible country Be fluent in English Have completed a Master’s or higher degree Be in the early or middle stage of their career, with at least two (but not more than 10) years of practical experience Be employed by a university, government agency or research entity in their home country Demonstrate their intention to continue working in their... Read More 0

We thank all authors who submitted short and extended abstracts for the Fifth African Higher Education Week and RUFORUM Biennial Conference that was held 17-21 October 2016 in Cape Town, South Africa.  We received close to 500 papers which were all subjected to peer review process. Following the reviews, we published in October 2016 the first batch of 130 papers in the RUFORUM Working Document Series Vol. 14 (Part 1). We are... Read More 0