Latest Updates

Written by Prossy Nandudu – New Vision The growing population in Africa calls for more innovation in research to come up with crop varieties that are high yielding and tolerant to pests and diseases and effects of climate change. This is the reason why the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) in partnership […] 0

During the week of 13 – 17 the April, 2015, the RUFORUM Secretariat together with development partners will be meeting in Stellenbosch University meeting to  contribute towards the  RUFORUM Strategic Business Plan 2015-2020. Setting the scene for this meeting, are reflections from Prof. Malcolm Blackie, an Independent Consultant and a member of the RUFORUM International […] 0

In the mid ‘90’s, Rockefeller Foundation helped selected FORUM university faculties and departments create special computer labs and networks, equipped with CD-ROM, in order to access bibliographic and abstracting databases in the agricultural sciences, particularly TEEAL, the full-text CD-ROM agricultural library of about 130 journals.  RUFORUM has continued to work with its network—organizing training workshops […] 0

ITOCA in collaboration with Albert R. Mann Library, Cornell University is pleased to announce the TEEAL Post-Graduate Research Paper Competition 2015 for post graduate students from six eligible African countries (Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda) to obtain TEEAL, The Essential Electronic Agricultural Library for their institution as well as prize money. TEEAL […] 0

By Irene Friesenhahn Irene Friesenhahn rounds up sources of online information, highlighting key initiatives on Africa’s higher education Several organisations address higher education in Africa through their work. The Carnegie Corporation of New York and UN agencies including UNESCO and the World Bank provide great online resources. In 1980 UNESCO set up the African Network […] 0

The University of Nairobi (UoN) will join other regional universities in bidding to host one of the centres of excellence being funded by the World Bank. This was revealed during a consultative meeting between The University of Nairobi (UoN) and the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM). The World Bank African Higher […] 0

The RUFORUM information and communication technology (ICT) program was established in 2009. One of its goals is to support the member universities to implement technology-mediated teaching and learning. The intended outcome is member universities improving the quality of learning delivery. When this happens quality students would be produced and in turn contribute towards solving Africa’s […] 0

Over the years, universities in Africa have sought opportunities to send their staff for post-graduate training abroad in a bid to strengthen research and training, at very high costs. The loss of faculty for 4 to 5 years has negatively affected universities. In order to meet the growing demand for Doctoral level scientists in Africa, […] 0

When enterprising farmer Eric Galotshoge had the idea of importing a herd of dairy goats and producing goats’ milk to satisfy a burgeoning local market, he thought he was onto a sure thing. As a farmer with an entrepreneurial turn of mind, he did his market research and found that a strong demand existed from […] 0

As part of efforts to ensure effective partnerships with user-led processes and thus engage in articulating demand for relevant research and capacity building, RUFORUM is an active partner and leader of Work Package – Capacities in the EU-supported project “Platform for African-European Partnerships for Research and Development (PAEPARD). The PAEPARD Project is led by the […] 0

Written by Damtew Teferra Ph.D. Dr. Damtew Teferra wrote the discussion paper on Investment in Higher Education in Africa and led the higher education expert team which developed the background papers in the lead up to the Summit. He is a professor of higher education at the University of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa, founding director of […] 0

Double scoops: Charles Masembe of the College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS), Makerere University has scooped the highly competitive Wellcome Trust Intermediate Fellowship in Public Health and Tropical Medicine; and has recently been promoted to Associate Professor (Molecular Genetics and Evolution). “Transmission dynamics of African swine fever in an endemic setting at the livestock-wildlife interface” Dr. […] 0

  STORY HIGHLIGHTS A continental summit in Dakar March 10-12 brought governments, academics, international development partners, and entrepreneurs together to develop a common vision towards transforming Africa’s higher education system. Hosted by TrustAfrica, the summit explored the challenges currently confronting the continent in terms of investment, financing, harmonization, access, quality, diversity, and graduate employability. Young […] 0

Written by: Mrs. Jane Anyango – Communications/PR Officer (CAES) Residents of Kanyonyi village, Wanzogi – Subcounty, Kalungi Parish in Nakasongola district have all reasons to celebrate following a successful project that has in this dry season relieved several households from shifting in search for water for their animals and domestic use. No animal deaths resulting […] 0

The CGIAR Research Program on Dryland Cereals (Dryland Cereals) through its newly launched Dryland Cereals Scholarship Program provides support and a platform for motivated, young scientists from developing countries in Africa and Asia to pursue agricultural research to end food, nutrition and environmental insecurity. The program will partially and fully (as the case may be) […] 0

This week (9-13 March 2015) is the Open Education Week – a celebration of the global Open Education Movement. Its purpose is to raise awareness about open education and its impact on teaching and learning worldwide. Open education encompasses resources, tools and practices that employ a framework of open sharing to improve educational access and […] 0

This publication has come out of the 3rd Africa-wide Women and Young Professionals in Science Competitions, and it profiles the achievements of the semi-finalists and all who participated. The two competitions were both timely and strategic as science, technology and innovation is increasingly regarded as an important ingredient for agricultural transformation and sustained socioeconomic development […] 0

Globally, about 700 million people are faced with inadequate food supplies, with more than 30% of the developing world’s populations living in extreme poverty. In sub-Saharan Africa, as living standards rise, populations grow and urbanization continues. Data suggest that, in the next fifty years, the global population will consume twice as much food as was […] 0

Family, friends and colleagues of the late Carl K. Eicher have established a fund under the IAAE to support an award for the best doctoral dissertation on Africa to honour the outstanding contributions of the late Professor Eicher to African agricultural research and education. The first award will be made at the International Conference of […] 0

Uganda is one of the leading producers of Sweet potato in Africa. But research into this staple crop has been neglected with farmers recycling diseased and poor yielding varieties. Bionnovate has been working to improve the yield of sweet potato crops in East Africa. Dr. Settumba Mukasa is the Bioinnovate project scientist at Makerere University […] 0