Partners Consultative Forum

Discussion with Partners in Nairobi, Kenya,  Oct  2018
RUFORUM has received the generous support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in support of the Secretariat, its governance, networking and research agenda since 2009. During that time, RUFORUM has strengthened its operations and developed new and enhanced partnerships with other partners, and also received support from many other agencies to implement research, programmes, projects, advocacy, training and scholarships including from MasterCard Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, World Bank, EU, IDRC, etc. During this period, it has shown significant progress in building a framework for engaging African universities in reform processes and enabled them to work more closely together and to produce more relevant graduates and research.  Read More


Discussion with Partners in Marrackech, Morocco, March  2019
Co-convened by the OCP Group African Development Bank, World Bank and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the consultative forum is organised to provide a platform for dialogue between the African tertiary education sector (TVET, HEST, R&D) and the global and African development partners to chart a way forward for transforming African agricultural higher agricultural education, science, technology and innovation (AHESTI). It is proposed to engage global and African partners with passion for Africa’s transformation through skilled human capital, science, technology and innovation with inclusive agricultural growth. Inclusive agricultural growth relates to mitigating the effects of commercialization if agriculture and related large corporate takeovers of farming and value chains and the food system as a whole, from production to retail, by ensuring smallholder farmers and poor rural residents are included in the benefit streams. Read More


Promoting Equal Opportunity for Youth Employability and Entrepreneurship in Africa, Kampala, Uganda, Oct 2019
Convened by Arab Organisation for Agricultural Development (AOAD) in collaboration with the Arab Bank for Economic Development and RUFORUM, the Consultative Forum is designed to provide a platform for dialogue between the African tertiary education sector (TVET, HEST, R&D) and the global and African development partners to chart a way forward for supporting the implementation of Africa’ Universities Agenda for Higher Agricultural Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (AHESTI). The AHESTI aims at catalyzing engagement of Africa’s universities to support rural transformation in the continent and universities contribution towards attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Africa’s Agenda 2063. Read More

Planning Meeting for the 2nd Afro-Arab Partnership Forum in Kampala, Uganda, February 2021, (Virtual Meeting),
This meeting was to consult with key stakeholders on the planned second Afro-Arab Partnership forum. This virtual meeting, hosted by the RUFORUM Secretariat, was attended by African Union Commission (AUC),  Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD), Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), Sudan Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MoHESR) and Uganda Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MoST&). Read more