The Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) Triennial Conference has officially commenced in Windhoek, Namibia.
The second RUFORUM Triennial Conference is hosted by the Government of Namibia in collaboration with RUFORUM member universities, under the theme: “Operationalizing Higher Agricultural Education and Research Ecosystems for Innovation, Industrialization, and Economic Development in Africa: A Call for Action.”
Ethiopian University Leaders are attending the RUFORUM Conference in Namibia. The State Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) Ministry of Education, Mr. Kora Toshene, is attending the RUFORUM 2nd Triennial Conference in Windhoek, Namibia. He is joined by Dr. Jemal Yousuf, President of Haramaya University, and Dr. Awel Seid, Vice President of Wollo University, Representatives of Mekelle, Aksum, and Hawassa Universities, and other staff members of Haramaya University are also participating in the conference.
The Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), is a gathering of African universities focused on modernizing agriculture and transforming the continent. The presence of the Ethiopian delegation shows the universities’ commitment to collaborate with their African counterparts in addressing agricultural challenges and driving sustainable development in the continent.
Professor Patrick Okori, the forum’s secretary, emphasized the crucial role of education in driving Africa’s development. He called for Africans to pool their knowledge and work together to achieve this.
He highlighted the need for collaborative research to address the continent’s existential threats in agriculture. Furthermore, Professor Patrick noted that declining agricultural yields due to climate change and other factors necessitate a shift towards technology-driven education to equip the youth with the skills needed to modernize African agriculture.
Dr. Itah Kandji Murangi, the Namibian Minister of Higher Education, Training, and Innovation, stressed the importance of transforming technologies and work practices to ensure food security for all Africans. She urged agricultural scholars across the continent to prioritize quality education and collaboration to produce graduates capable of achieving this.
Professor Kao Akeng’i, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Namibia, underscored the need for universities to continuously adapt their curricula and embrace technology to produce graduates who can harness technological advancements for agricultural purposes.
The forum highlighted the importance of education, technology, and collaboration in transforming African agriculture. Participants called for a shift towards technology-driven education to equip the youth with the skills needed to address the continent’s agricultural challenges.
RUFORUM was established in 2004, and it is a consortium of 170 African universities operating in 40 countries, with a mission to strengthen the capacities of universities to foster innovations that meet the demands of smallholder farmers through training high-quality researchers, producing impact-oriented research, and maintaining collaborative relationships among researchers, farmers, and national agricultural research institutions. RUFORUM was praised for fostering collaboration and capacity building among African universities.
Since the establishment of RUFORUM, Haramaya University has been actively working with the forum to address the African continent’s agricultural sectors’ human resource needs.
This event also marks a significant milestone, celebrating RUFORUM’s 20th anniversary. over 1,000 delegates, including partners, heads of development institutions, private sector leaders, farmers, and their representatives, emerging and early-career researchers, and young entrepreneurs, particularly from Namibia and other Southern African countries, are attending the conference. The conference will be held until Friday 16th August 2024.
Haramaya University Public & International Relations Directorate