About RUFORUM

Strengthening African universities to drive agricultural transformation and innovation.

Who We Are

The Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) is Africa’s leading higher-education network driving agricultural innovation and human capital development.

Founded in 2004, RUFORUM is a consortium of 175 universities across 40 African countries, creating a continent-wide ecosystem with strategic partners that works towards shared objectives in delivering science solutions for development, human capital development, and institutional reform in the African Higher Agricultural Education (HAE) system

RUFORUM Impact

Driving Agricultural Transformation Across Africa

Built for Impact

01

Vision

To have vibrant, transformative universities catalysing sustainable, inclusive agricultural development to feed and create prosperity for Africa.

02

Mission

To strengthen the capacities of universities to foster innovations that are responsive to the demands of smallholder farmers and further key stakeholders across the evolving agricultural value chain. We aim to achieve this through training researchers for impact-oriented research, and the maintenance of collaborative working relationships among researchers, farmers, market actors, national agricultural research and advocacy institutions, and governments.

03

Motivation

The transformation of agriculture in Africa requires innovative scientific research, educational and training approaches. The education sector needs to be more connected to the new challenges facing rural communities and must build the capacity of young people to actively participate in the agricultural sector’s transformation. This objective is supported by the Science Agenda for Agriculture in Africa.

Strategic Objectives

Embracing RUFORUM Relevance in Africa

Enhancing the relevance, legitimacy, and viability of RUFORUM as a continental HAE network and strengthening collaboration among its members.

Human Resources and Capacity Building

Building synergy through networks of specialization to develop high-quality human resources for Africa’s agricultural productivity and competitiveness.

Facilitating Member Institutions

Promoting collaboration among member institutions and supporting structural improvements in higher agricultural education systems.

Universities Knowledge Products

Ensuring research outputs directly benefit agricultural value chains and contribute to inclusive and sustainable transformation.

RUFORUM Video