+ News
Her Excellecy Inonge Wina the Acting President of the Republic of Zambia Meets RUFORUM Delegation in Lusaka
The Vice President of the Republic of Zambia H.E Inonge Wina (R), RUFOROUM Delegation during a Courtesy Call
Lusaka 25 September 2019
A delegation from the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), a network of 118 universities across 38 countries in Africa paid a courtesy call on the Vice President and Acting President of the Republic of Zambia Her Excellency Inonge Wina in Lusaka on 25th September 2019. This Courtesy call was part of the agenda for the three day Zambia Higher Education Week activities held from 23rd -25th September 2019.
The Zambia Higher Education Week is part of the RUFORUM initiative for national dialogue on higher education among the member university States. Similar events were held in Liberia and Mali. The Zambia event was hosted by the University of Zambia (UNZA) in partnership with the, the Ministry of Higher Education, Ministry of Agriculture and the Zambia Agricultural Research Institution. Activities included a one-day Higher Education symposium in Lusaka, Zambia; the RUFORUM Board Executive Committee Meeting; a courtesy call on the Vice President; University of Zambia project site visits; and an interactive session with staff at the University of Zambia.
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Zambia Prof. Luke Mumba welcoming guests to the higher education week highlighted the three Ps (Peace, Policy and People with skills) needed to develop the agricultural sector, these were evident in the RUFORUM Agenda. The higher education day was officially opened by the Minister of Higher Education Hon. Brian Mushimba who applauded RUFORUM’s efforts in Zambia especially in advancing Africa’s response to higher education disparities and support to disadvantaged students and countries. He applauded the drive to mobilize the private sector to take an active role and invest in agricultural education transformation and the ongoing efforts to foster linkages between the higher education sector in Zambia and the RUFORUM network of universities. In his remarks, the Minister said,
Transformation of Higher Education in Africa is non negotiable, this is because the forces of globalization require new waves of knowledge generation including partnership for working in African Universities.
RUFORUM Board and Vice Chancellors from Zambia pose for a Photo with Hon. Dr. Mushimba during the Zambia Higher Education Day
A team of Ten Vice Chancellors from RUFORUM member universities, the RUFORUM governance bodies and other stakeholders including, the Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development (CCARDESA), East African Farmers Federation and the Kenya National Qualifications Authority paid a courtesy call to the Acting Republican President, Her Excellency Inonge Wina at the cabinet office in Lusaka. The RUFORUM delegation was led by the RUFORUM Board Chair, Professor George Kanyama-Phiri, the Vice Chancellor, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Malawi. In her remarks, the Vice President said that she was confident that the RUFORUM partners visit to Zambia would enhance the finding of solutions not only to food and nutrition insecurity but to the climate change challenges whose negative impact has been evident in Zambia. She noted that Zambia was keen to learn from experiences from across the continent.
Higher Institutions of Learning are the Knowledge Centres and therefore putting Science, Technology and Innovation as a priority would be key in solving the current problems that we are confronted with.
For the next steps, the Acting President directed the Minister of Higher Education to develop a Cabinet Memo to be tabled to the Cabinet. The Memo will among other things outline the RUFORUM Charter that was presented to her by Dr. Alice Mweetwa, Deputy Executive Secretary, RUFORUM. She further reiterated the need to work with RUFORUM to develop a framework for finding solutions to challenges in Zambia. Her Excellency pledged that the Government of Zambia would host the 22nd RUFORUM Annual General Meeting in 2026 because she was confident that it would add value to the Country through synergy and collaboration. She thanked the delegation for choosing Zambia and re-echored the Government’s commitment to supporting Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation in Zambia.
Related Story: CCARDESA and RUFORUM pays a courtesy call on the Vice President office in Zambia http://www.ccardesa.org/ccardesa-and-ruforum-pays-courtesy-call-vice-president-office-zambia
“In-Country/In-Region Scholarship Programme” pour l’Afrique subsaharienne à l’Université d’Abomey-Calavi, Ecole doctorale des sciences agronomiques et de l’eau du Bénin – Renforcement de l’enseignement supérieur et de la recherche en Afrique occidentale et centrale
Contexte : Le DAAD, financé par le Ministère Fédéral Allemand de la Coopération Economique et du Développement (BMZ en allemand) et financé par “In-Country/In-Region Scholarship Programme”, offre des bourses pour des études de Doctorat et de Master. Le programme vise à promouvoir des systèmes d’enseignement supérieur solides et à vocation internationale en Afrique subsaharienne, capables de contribuer au développement durable.
Dans le cadre de ce programme, l’Ecole Doctorale des Sciences Agronomiques et de l’Eau (EDSAE) de l’Université d’Abomey-Calavi propose des programmes de Master et de doctorat en Biostatistiques/biométrie, un domaine qui revêt une importance particulière pour le développement national des pays de l’Afrique subsaharienne.
Domaine d’application : Master en Statistique (Orientation : Biostatistiques)
& Doctorat en Agronomie (Option : Biométrie).
Langue de Candidature : Toutes les candidatures DOIVENT être soumises en anglais.
Groupe cible: diplômés et étudiants d’Afrique subsaharienne titulaires d’une licence ou d’une maîtrise s’ils postulent au programme de maîtrise ou d’un Master s’ils postulent au programme de doctorat et souhaitent poursuivre des études en Biostatistique/ Biométrie dans leur pays d’origine ou dans un autre pays d’Afrique subsaharienne. Les candidats doivent être affiliés à des laboratoires d’université ou être membre du personnel du secteur public.
Nombre de bourse:
2 bourses de doctorat & 2 bourses de Master pour les béninois
5 bourses de doctorat & 6 bourses de Master pour les pays d’Afrique Sub-Saharienne
Critère d’éligibilité : Pour être admis dans le programme de Master, les candidats doivent être titulaires d’une licence ou d’une maîtrise en sciences agronomiques/biologiques ou en mathématiques /statistiques avec des préalables en statistiques. Pour le programme de doctorat en Biométrie, les candidats doivent avoir le Master en Biostatistiques/Biométrie. En outre, les candidats doivent répondre aux critères d’éligibilité du DAAD, disponibles ici.
Comment postuler: Le processus de candidature comporte deux étapes
Première étape: les candidats doivent déposer un dossier à l’Ecole Doctorale des Sciences Agronomiques de l’Université d’Abomey-Calavi.
Pour les candidats au Master en Biostatistique, le dossier est constitué de:
- Lettre de motivation adressée au Coordonnateur de la formation doctorale en Biométrie
- Diplômes académiques
- Relevés de notes
- Lettre de recommandation d’un enseignant-chercheur
- Copie certifiée de l’acte de naissance
- Curriculum vitae
- Programme des cours déjà suivit par le postulant
Pour les candidats au Doctorat en Biométrie, le dossier est constitué de:
- Lettre de candidature adressée au Directeur de l’Ecole Doctorale des Sciences Agronomiques et de l’eau de l’UAC
- Lettre de motivation adressée au Coordonnateur de la formation doctorale en Biométrie
- Note conceptuelle du projet de recherche (pas plus de 10 pages)
- CV du candidat comprenant si possible une liste de publications scientifiques
- Copie des relevés de notes officiels du candidat pour le Master en Biostatistique/Biométrie et pour la licence. Veuillez fournir l’explication officielle du système de classement
- Copie des diplômes universitaires obtenus
- Lettre de recommandation d’un enseignant-chercheur
Date limite: 15 décembre 2019.
Deuxième étape : DAAD se réserve le droit de la sélection finale. Seuls les candidats présélectionnés seront invités à se connecter au portail du DAAD, à s’enregistrer et à soumettre une candidature DAAD.
Date limite : 7 Février 2020. Plus de renseignement sont disponible ici.
Contact
Prof. Romain L. Glèlè Kakaï
Université d’Abomey-Calavi, Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques
E-Mail: romain.glelekakai@fsa.uac.bj / glele.romain@gmail.com
“In-Country/In-Region Scholarship Programme” Sub-Saharan Africa at University of Abomey-Calavi, Doctoral school of agronomic and water sciences in Benin – Strengthening Higher Education and Research in West and Central Africa
Background: DAAD through the “In-Country/In-Region Scholarship Programme” funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), offers scholarships for PhD and Master studies. The programme aims at fostering strong, internationally oriented higher education systems in Sub-Saharan Africa with the capacity to contribute to sustainable development.
As part of this programme, the Faculty of Agronomic Sciences of the University of Abomey-Calavi offers a Master and a doctoral study programmes in biometrics, an area with strong relevance to national development of Sub-Saharan African countries
Application fields: Master in Statistics (Major Biostatistics) & Doctorate in Agronomy (Major Biometrics).
Language of application: All applications MUST be submitted in English.
Target group: graduates and postgraduates from Sub-Saharan Africa with a first academic degree if applying for the Master’s programme, or with a Master’s degree if applying for the doctoral programme who want to pursue studies in biostatistics/biometrics in their home country or in another Sub-Saharan African country. Applicants should be university staff or academically trained personnel of public sector.
Number of scholarships:
2 Doctorates & 2 Masters from Benin; 5 Doctorates & 6 Masters from other Sub-Saharan countries
Eligibility criteria – To be admitted in the Master programme, applicants must hold a bachelor or a master degree in agricultural/biological sciences or in mathematics/statistics with prerequisites in Statistics. For the doctoral programme, applicants must hold a Master’s degree in these fields. In addition, applicants must fit DAAD eligibility criteria, available here.
How to apply – The application process contains two steps
First step: Applicants must apply for their studies at University of Abomey-Calavi, Faculty of Agronomic Sciences following guidelines (documents and how to apply) below (candidates for the Master’s programme):
- Motivation letter to the Coordinator of the Master
- Academic degrees
- Academic transcripts
- An academic reference letter from a lecturer-researcher
- Certified copy of the Certificate of Birth
- Curriculum vitae
- Program of the courses already followed by the applicant
Application file for doctoral candidates includes:
- Cover letter of application to the Director of the doctoral school of agronomic and water sciences
- Motivation letter to the Coordinator of the doctoral training in Biometrics
- Concept note of the research project (not more than 10 pages) from the applicant/candidate
- CV of the applicant including if possible a list of scientific publications
- Copy of official academic transcripts of the applicant, for the Master in Biostatistics/biometrics and for the Bachelor. Please supply the official explanation of the grading system.
- Copy of certificates for the Master in Biostatistics/biometrics and for the Bachelor
- Letter of support from a lecturer-researcher
UAC Deadline: 15th December 2019.
Second step: DAAD reserves the right of final selection. Only the pre-selected candidates are asked to log into the DAAD portal, register themselves and submit an DAAD application. DAAD Deadline: 7th February 2020. More details are available here.
Contact
Prof. Romain L. Glèlè Kakaï
University of Abomey-Calavi, Faculty of Agronomic Sciences
E-Mail: romain.glelekakai@fsa.uac.bj / glele.romain@gmail.com
Deadline for Application: 30 October, 2019
The Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) is organising its 15th Annual General meeting at the University of Cape Coast in Ghana from 2-6 December 2019. RUFORUM is a network of 114 Universities in 38 Countries in Africa. The RUFORUM Network is mandated to strengthen the quality and relevance of postgraduate training and research in African universities especially in agriculture, science, technology, and innovation—through activities designed to improve the capacity of African universities and research centres to generate knowledge relevant to Africa’s development challenges. The AGM is one of the key activities under Knowledge Hub programmatic pillar of the RUFORUM Vision 2030 strategy, which is also meant to be a vehicle for facilitating universities, stakeholders and key partners to synthesize emerging lessons and best practices, and to document and disseminate information, knowledge and innovations. The theme for this 15th AGM is “Delivering on Africa’s Universities Agenda for Higher Agricultural Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (AHESTI): What will it take?”. As a way of reaching out to a bigger audience beyond those who will physically attend the conference, RUFORUM would like to engage student on a voluntary basis to share information about the conference in real time through Social media. See Link for application.
Roles of Volunteer Social Media Rapporteurs will;
- Work online to share information and create a buzz about the AGM through tweets, retweets, likes and shares on face book posts, share videos, and pictures.
- Write blog articles and re-post information related to the 15th RUFORUM AGM. These volunteers will work online from 1st December 2019 to 7th December 2019.
- Be guided on what to tweet through a schedule of tweets and Facebook posts that will be shared with them
- Be physically present. A total of 60 On-Site Volunteer Social Media Rapporteur will also be selected to support the online campaign and also participate in “onsite social media reporting”. Physical presence during the events is thus a requirement for onsite Volunteer Social Media Rapporteur. Hence these Volunteer Social Media Rapporteurs must be students at the University of Cape Coast and residents within Campus to be able to attend each event they are assigned to.
- Use the hash tag #AGMGhana2019 will be used to tag all posts to enable aggregation and tracking of traffic the 15th AGM.
- Tweet or like posts and will be encouraged to promote UCC and Ghana as well.
- Be expected to follow RUFORUM social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, LinkedIn, Blog, Flick).
- Have Team leaders selected to assist and channel the efforts of their team members in order to reach their goals.
Benefits
- Selected Rapporteurs will be trained about Social Media and effective Reporting
- They will be given a certificate of participation signed by the RUFORUM Executive Secretary upon completion of all assigned tasks.
- Applicants will have a real experience to include in their resume
- Applicants will be associated with RUFORUM and be included in the Mailing list for future related opportunities to support applicant’s career growth
Eligibility Criteria
For onsite reporting
- Must be a student of Cape Coast University, Main Campus
- Aged 18-35 years
- Be involved in Agriculture related field, Knowledge Management, Mass communication, ICT and related fields
- Experience in using social media – at least twitter and face book
- Interested social media and visits these sites regularly
- Bears a smart phone or laptop and access to internet
- Good reputation in social media communities
- Understands the importance of hashtags and content aggregation
- Appreciates the importance of Higher Education for Africa’s development
- Be available to attend the social media training and the AGM week
For Remote Rapporteurs
There is no restriction on age and country of online Rapporteurs. Being part of the team will provide networking opportunities
How to Apply
Interested applicants must submit their applications online via given this Link
by 30th October, 2019.
RUFORUM is a network of 114 Universities in 38 African countries with mission to strengthen the capacities of universities to foster innovations for strengthening agri-food systems through the training of high quality researchers, the output of impact oriented research and the maintenance of collaborative working relations among researchers, farmers, national agricultural research institutions and governments.
The RUFORUM Fifteenth Annual General Meeting , will be held 2 – 6 December 2019 in Cape Coast, Ghana along the theme “Delivering on Africa’s Universities Agenda for Higher Agricultural Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (AHESTI): What will it take?”. The event will bring together over 500 participants from a wide range of delegates including Ministers of Agriculture and Education and their respective Permanent Secretaries, Vice Chancellors, Principals and Deans, partners and Heads of development institutions, private sector leaders, farmers and farmer representatives, emerging and early career researchers and young entrepreneurs from especially Ghana and other West African countries. Universities, private sector actors and young entrepreneurs shall have the opportunity to showcase their innovations, products and services, network and broker partnerships with one another. The meeting will be co-organized by RUFORUM, and all the RUFORUM Member Universities in Ghana and other partners.
As part of strengthening dissemination of research outputs and lesson sharing RUFORUM invites interested authors (University researchers, researchers and scientists from National, regional and international Research Institutes, Higher Education stakeholders and beneficiaries of RUFORUM supported projects, including postgraduates students and their supervisors) to submit posters (for examples and guidelines of developing poster please see below). The deadline for submission is 20th October, 2019. All participants wishing to present posters are expected to prepare, print and carry poster(s) for display during the AGM.
For additional background information about requirements for Poster display during the AGM, please visit the RUFORUM website (www.ruforum.org).
Tips for designing your poster
When designing your poster think about how people read posters. You want to grab the attention of participants at a busy conference with several side-events, parallel sessions and networking events.
There are lots of ways of doing a good poster but below are some key points to consider:
1) A good poster uses illustrations to draw the reader to and communicate the topic of the poster without the reader having to spend much time reading text.
2) Think about your title – an interesting title which gets to the heart of what the poster is about and why it matters is more attractive than a technically correct title with scientific names and lots of jargon.
3) No text on the poster should be too small to read from a distance of about 1.8m (6 feet). The bigger the better (within reason).
4) Generally you may have to redraw your figures and illustrations for your poster – not just cut and paste them from a paper or thesis chapter. The rules about being able to read text from 1.8m applies even more so to the legends and axes on graphs, plates, and other illustrations.
5) The RUFORUM AGM 2019 brings together a very diverse audience and interdisciplinary participants. To effectively engage this diverse audience please consider to avoid technical jargon and acronyms.
6) Think about the conversation message of your poster. Could someone get to the end of your poster and think ‘so what?’ If so then you need to be more explicit about why this work matters and how it is aligned to the theme and sub-themes.
7) Do consider including a picture of yourself (maybe in the field) so that someone who reads your poster and wants to meet you to learn more can easily find you.
8) Don’t forget to include names of collaborators and logos of funders or your host institution.
9) Tell us how to find out more – you can include a web or email address or even a website link, and feel free to provide a sign-up sheet where people can leave their contacts (e.g., email address) if they want to hear more. If you are on Twitter consider uploading your poster to a slide share website such as http://www.slideshare.net/ and tweeting your poster with the AGM hashtag (this can attract people to your poster for a chat as well as allowing those following the AGM deliberations from afar to see your work).
10) The more creative and imaginative the better in terms of effectively attracting participants to view and internalize contents of your poster!
Poster and Poster Board Design Layout
- Poster Board dimensions will be as follows (Height: 180cm, Width: 180cm as indicated in figure A below. Please note that one poster board is for 2 posters.
- If proposed Poster size is A0 then poster dimensions will be as follows:(Height: 118.9cm, Width: 84.1cm) as indicated in figure B Below
- Depending on the nature of the floor layout, one poster board can accommodate 4 posters if placed back to back
Submission and Review of posters
Please submit your soft copy poster for review to farmah@ucc.edu.gh; m.sylvanus@ruforum.org, and easare-bediako@ucc.edu.gh
Dowload complete Call-for-Poster for RUFORUM AGM 2019 (002)
Since 2011, EARTH University and the Mastercard Foundation (MCF) have partnered to provide educational opportunity to young leaders whose academic talent and promise exceed their financial resources, to support them in transforming the future of developing regions, particularly Africa. More than 130 MCF Scholars have graduated from EARTH after an intensive, experiential 4-year program in agriculture and natural resources management, and the vast majority of these Scholars has returned to their countries and communities to lead social, environmental and economic transformation back home.
However, many educated and high-potential youth lack the skills, knowledge, and networks to activate their entrepreneurial ideas and/or transition to the world of work to create impact in their families, communities, and countries. Young people from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds can face challenges because of limited personal or social capital, and young women and displaced youth in particular face additional disadvantages. EARTH and MCF recognize that these challenges faced by returning MCF Scholar graduates are significant. With this in mind, in 2020 the two organizations will launch the new EARTH-MCF Graduate Fellowship, a program of competitive, remunerated post-graduate fellowships for EARTH and MCF Scholar alumni focused on agriculture and rural development. The Fellowship Program will support professional development and entrance to employment and entrepreneurship that will accelerate Scholars’ impact on the continent.
As part of the Fellowship, EARTH will provide transition pathways to employment and entrepreneurship through one-year placements in select African countries across four tracks:
- The Agricultural Employment Track provides opportunities for graduates to establish a foothold into careers in the future of agriculture and food systems, through placements with partner institutions in the private, public or social sectors.
- The Agricultural Entrepreneurship Track provides support to graduates in launching their own market-based endeavors focused on innovative solutions to challenges in agriculture and rural development.
- The Agricultural Education Track provides opportunities, including teaching, with secondary education and technical, vocational, education and training (TVET) institutions in Africa to support the expansion of innovation and best practices in agricultural education.
- The Agricultural Innovation through Science and Research Track will place graduates interested in careers in agricultural research in national and international research organizations, universities and other institutions.
During one-year placement opportunities beginning in January each year, Fellows will receive a modest monthly stipend in addition to mentoring and other services to support their career development and impact potential. EARTH will also organize periodic convenings among Fellows in Africa as spaces for peer-to-peer learning and continuing education. For the first 3 years, only recent EARTH graduates will be eligible to apply; following this initial period, the program will be open to all recent alumni of the MCF Scholars Program network. The Fellowship program will facilitate and accelerate transitions for 140 Scholars over the next 8 years to realize their potential and exercise their abilities as catalytic change leaders in and for Africa. The Fellowship Program will play an important role in establishing best practices and contribute to evidence building that informs the creation of viable pathways to transition from school to work.
Beginning in August 2019, EARTH will be recruiting the Fellowship management team and will actively be seeking partnerships for placements, mentoring, expert-led webinars and operational logistics in Africa. To learn more about the program and explore these partnership opportunities, please contact us at Fellowship@earth.ac.cr.
EARTH University, established in Costa Rica at the close of the Central American civil wars in 1986, was founded on the premise that a new generation of leaders would be key to achieving peace and shared prosperity among rural communities struggling with poverty, conflict and environmental deterioration. With this transformative premise in mind, EARTH set out to train and prepare future generations of values-driven leaders for rural areas; to alleviate poverty, promote social justice and build a future where communities achieve sustainable and shared prosperity.
EARTH’s educational model is unique. The University was conceived and established as an institution of higher education focused on the learner and the learning process. Aspects of the program that make it distinctly different from other institutions include an individualized admissions process based on non-traditional selection criteria, in which all short-listed candidates have personal and group interviews with EARTH faculty and staff. Students are active participants in a highly experiential, integrated and multi-disciplinary curriculum that seeks to balance self-directed learning with teacher-directed learning. EARTH’s program focuses on nurturing an entrepreneurial spirit, concern for the welfare of the community, and strong environmental ethos in every student. Finally, the development of values and personal responsibility is emphasized and there is an expectation that graduates will “go back and give back” to their countries of origin.
Over the past three decades, the University has consolidated an established platform for rural leadership education that has provided holistic undergraduate education in agricultural sciences and natural resources management to more than 2,300 graduates from 41 countries around the world (including 16 African nations). Nearly 90% of EARTH’s students come from rural areas, all of whom study thanks to full or partial scholarships.
EARTH has received African students since 2000 and has established collaboration with multiple African tertiary institutions and others, and through this work has become a respected partner in efforts to assist universities in better meeting the needs of their students and society.
In March 2018, EARTH launched its 2018-2022 Strategic Plan under the leadership of its new President and following extensive consultations with the entire EARTH community and many external stakeholders. As EARTH aims to significantly grow the impact of the University and extend its reach to millions of rural people, it will strengthen relationships with graduates in order to increase shared impact in graduate communities across developing countries and regions. The renewed partnership with MCF, including the Fellowship Program, offers EARTH an important opportunity to grow its impact in Africa through its growing network of graduates.
The Opportunity
In partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, EARTH is launching a Fellowship Program in Africa to support graduates with yearlong placements to secure productive economic livelihoods for themselves, create opportunities for dignified employment for others, and to realize their potential as change agents for the future of Africa. The Fellowship Program has been developed in recognition of the challenges inherent in the transition from university to the world of work, particularly for graduates from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Program, which will initially be open to EARTH’s African graduates and eventually to African graduates from all Mastercard Foundation partner institutions, will be offered along four tracks:
- The Agricultural Employment Track will provide opportunities to establish a foothold into careers in the future of agriculture and food systems.
- The Agricultural Education Track will provide placement opportunities in secondary education and with technical vocational education and training (TVET) institutions.
- The Agricultural Innovation through Science and Research Track will place graduates interested in careers in agricultural research in organizations, universities and other institutions.
- The Agricultural Entrepreneurship Track is designed for graduates who seek to launch their own market-based endeavors focused on innovative solutions to challenges in agriculture and rural development.
The Director, together with two additional colleagues to be selected and with assistance from key EARTH staff members, will be responsible for strengthening existing partnerships and developing new ones for Fellowships placements, coordinating a support program for Fellows including mentorship, periodic convenings, on-line support services and other activities and project administration. The Fellowship office will be located in Africa. Further detail on key responsibilities is provided below.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead the roll-out process for the new Fellowship program;
- Together with key EARTH staff, recruit two additional team members to collaborate in the launch and management of the Fellowship Program;
- Identify, cultivate and formalize partnerships for Fellowship placements;
- Organize periodic Fellow convenings in Africa with tailored content to support Fellows in their professional development;
- Coordinate the selection process for Fellows and the annual cycle of the Fellowship for the first 8 cohorts of Fellows;
- In coordination with EARTH’s Communications and Alumni offices, oversee the dissemination process for the Fellowship opportunity, both among EARTH graduates and later among all MCF partner institution alumni;
- In coordination with EARTH’s Learning Director, capture and register data regarding Fellowship participants and analyze and distill learnings that serve to enrich the program and report on its impact;
- Oversee the financial and operational management of the Fellowship Program, including stipend payments to Fellows and general administration in Africa;
- Prepare periodic grant reports to share progress and key updates on the program with the Mastercard Foundation.
- Collaborate with peer institutions and contribute to the broader discussion about youth entrepreneurship and employment in Africa.
- Contribute to the growth and long-term sustainability of the program.
Position Requirements:
- Minimum 5 years of experience in project management
- Master’s degree in a relevant field
- Fluency in spoken and written English is required; Spanish, French and Portuguese proficiency is a significant plus
- Excellent interpersonal, intercultural and communication skills and experience working in multi-cultural environments
- Initiative and independence in carrying out responsibilities and the ability to think and plan strategically
- Experience in starting up new programs from scratch, flexibility and persistence in managing unknowns and change. Build on Fellowship design and implementation that has already begun
- Ability to manage a small team and work effectively with University departments and across geographies to advance the goals of the program
- Excellent organizational skills with an ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines with accuracy and a strong results orientation
- Detail-oriented, with strong planning skills
- Interest in working closely with young people and supporting their professional development
- Passion for and personal commitment to the mission and values of EARTH University
- Knowledge of and familiarity with Africa (required); knowledge of agricultural education and sustainable development (preferred)
- Ability to think strategically and leverage African knowledge and learning mindset
- Willingness for extensive international travel, including trips to EARTH University in Costa Rica.
EARTH offers:
- A values-driven organization with a compelling mission
- An opportunity to impact the lives of young people
- Competitive compensation and benefits
- A unique professional and personal learning opportunity
Application Process:
- Please send a current CV and a letter explaining your interest in the position and why you believe you are uniquely qualified for the position to fellowship@earth.ac.cr.
African Countries have continued to face growing challenges related to infectious diseases in both human and animal populations. As a way of increasing capacity to tackle these challenges on the continent, the Zambian Government obtained a loan from the World Bank for the creation of the Africa Centre of Excellence in Infectious Diseases of Humans and Animals (ACEIDHA) at the University of Zambia (UNZA), School of Veterinary Medicine. The mandate of the Centre is the delivery of high quality research and training at MSc and PhD levels to smart, highly motivated and ambitious scientists in Africa, so as to reduce the identified critical shortage of skilled human resource in the prevention and control of infectious diseases on the continent.
The School of Veterinary Medicine boasts of the finest biomedical research facilities on the continent ranging from Biosafety Level (BSL) 2 to BSL 3 laboratories. The school also has a BSL 2 cell culture and an Animals Biosafety Level (ABSL) 2 laboratory. UNZA also boasts having highly qualified researchers and scientists who are able to offer quality student supervision and mentorship in a range of research areas. Additionally, student supervision will be done in collaboration with other internationally recognized scientists from within the continent and beyond. ACEIDHA is looking for highly qualified and motivated young African scientists interested in research in infectious diseases under the themes given below, that will culminate in obtaining MSc or PhD qualifications from the University of Zambia.
This training programme will empower graduates with knowledge and skills to improve the quality of livelihoods of people, including animals and the environment, and ultimately contributing to the attainment of some of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In line with UNZA strategic plan, ACEIDHA is committed to the principle of gender equality and equal opportunities for all including individuals with physical disabilities and disadvantaged backgrounds (We believe in equal opportunities for all). Through the funding received from the World Bank, ACEIDHA will offer scholarships (full or partial depending on circumstances) for the period of study at the University of Zambia, to deserving applicants meeting the selection criteria and whose proposed research areas will be in line with its mission and vision. Students with other sources of funding or those who can sponsor themselves are also encouraged to apply. Download ACEIDHA Call For Applications For Masters and PhD Studies For 2019 2020 Academic Year
Professor Cheikh Mbow, Director of Future Africa
Professor Cheikh Mbow was appointed as the inaugural Director of Future Africa at the University of Pretoria effective September 1, 2019. Future Africa is an initiative established by the University of Pretoria as a platform to develop leadership in transdisciplinary research in Africa in order to address the grand challenges that hamper transformation towards a prosperous, equitable and sustainable future of the continent.
Until this appointment, Prof Mbow had been leading START International-Inc (2016-2019), a US-based think tank working on research and capacity building in developing countries, mostly in Africa and Asia. Before joining START, he served as a Senior Scientist on climate change and agroforestry (2011-2016) at the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) in Nairobi, Kenya. Prior to that, he was Professor at the Institute of Environmental Sciences at University Cheikh Anta Diop of Dakar, Senegal.
After his PhD in Remote Sensing and Forestry from the University of Dakar and Copenhagen University, Prof Mbow undertook his postdoctoral studies in Canada from 2002 to 2003. Soon after, he joined the University of Dakar’s Faculty of Science where he started developing various research programmes on land resources, climate change and food security within Senegal and in other African regions. He was a lead scientist for many regional and global programmes, including the GOFC-GOLD (Global Observation of Forest Cover and Land Degradation), the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), Future Earth and IGBP (International Geosphere, Biosphere Programme).
During his tenure at Future Africa, Prof Mbow will also serve as an academic member (Professor) at the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Science to keep up with research activities in his area of expertise.
Prof Mbow’s vast experience in inter-, multi- and trans-disciplinary research is central to the Future Africa mission of addressing the complex problems facing Africa and the world. He will, among other responsibilities, lead and coordinate the international collaborations and partnerships necessary to achieve the task of using transdisciplinary knowledge to transform Africa into a just, economically prosperous and socially progressive continent.
Bamako, le 15 septembre 2019. Bamako a abrité les assises d’un symposium de trois jours sur l’Enseignement Supérieur au Mali, un symposium organisé par le Forum Régional des universités pour le renforcement des capacités en agriculture (RUFORUM), un réseau de 114 universités réparties dans 38 pays d’Afrique, en partenariat avec l’IPR / IFRA, le Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche scientifique, l’ONG Sasakawa Global. Les objectifs du symposium sont de (i) délibérer sur les solutions pour mieux répondre aux disparités dans l’enseignement supérieur et appuyer les étudiants défavorisés en Afrique; (ii) mobiliser le secteur privé pour qu’il joue un rôle actif dans l’Enseignement Agricole et les efforts de transformation; (iii) faire le point sur les priorités de l’Enseignement Supérieur et de l’Agriculture et les besoins de développement du Mali,; et (iv) Renforcer les liens entre le secteur de l’enseignement supérieur au Mali et le réseau d’universités RUFORUM. Depuis 2018, dans le cadre de la réalisation du programme Vision 2030 en vue de créer un réseau panafricain, RUFORUM a intensifié sa stratégie politique auprès des gouvernements africains afin de soutenir ses initiatives avec les universités membres des 38 pays africains. Pour aider le Mali dans ses efforts de transformation de l’agriculture, d’excellence dans l’enseignement supérieur et la recherche scientifique, une équipe de huit vice-chanceliers, recteurs et présidents des universités membres de RUFORUM, des organes de gouvernance de RUFORUM et d’autres parties prenantes se sont rendus au Mali durant la semaine du 9 au 14 septembre 2019 pour discuter avec les parties prenantes de l’enseignement supérieur au Mali, les décideurs et les représentants du secteur privé afin d’explorer les possibilités de partenariat et apprendre du cas du Mali. La réunion au Mali fait également partie des efforts de RUFORUM en vue d’accroître sa présence en Afrique de l’Ouest.
Une journée de réflexions et de discussions sur l’enseignement supérieur s’est tenue le 11 Septembre 2019 pour faciliter un dialogue national sur le statut et l’avenir de l’enseignement supérieur, ainsi que sur le processus de transformation de la science, de la technologie et de l’innovation au Mali. Ont participé à cette journée d’échanges les acteurs des universités et polytechniques, les décideurs politiques et les acteurs du secteur privé. La cérémonie a été officiellement ouverte par le ministre de l’Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche scientifique, avec les mots de bienvenue du Maire de la commune 3 et du Président du Conseil d’ Administration de RUFORUM.
Dans son allocution, le maire de la «Commune 3» a indiqué que le Mali, dans son état actuel a grand besoin d’augmenter la production agricole et la productivité par l’application de la science, de la technologie et de l’innovation. Elle a en outre souligné la nécessité de soutenir massivement les étudiants défavorisés mais méritant sur le plan académique. Le président du conseil d’administration de RUFORUM, a expliqué que l’extension récente de RUFORUM sur le continent africain répondait à l’urgence de faire progresser la transformation de l’agriculture en Afrique. Il a également souligné que l’Afrique étant dotée de ressources suffisantes, qu’il ne devrait pas y avoir de problème de faim et de pauvreté sur le continent ; ce qu’il faut, c’est un engagement soutenu et des efforts d’investissement dans l’enseignement supérieur et dans les systèmes nationaux de recherche pour combattre la faim et la pauvreté en Afrique :«Nous devons renforcer les capacités des scientifiques agricoles, des vétérinaires, des microbiologistes, des ingénieurs et des nutritionnistes», a-t-il souligné à la fin de son allocution. Enfin, dans son discours d’ouverture, le Ministre de l’Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche Scientifique a souligné que la science, la technologie et l’innovation restaient des moteurs puissants du développement socio-économique durable et inclusif. Il a salué l’initiative de ce colloque sur l’enseignement supérieur, qui constitue une occasion unique d’interagir et de débattre au niveau national sur les meilleurs moyens de faire avancer le Mali et le continent Africain.
Une présentation sommaire a été faite sur le statut de l’enseignement supérieur au Mali. Cela a permis au public et aux intervenants de débattre des problèmes clés et des solutions pour (i) transformer l’agriculture malienne à travers les STI, (i) financer la recherche scientifique et la technologie au Mali, (iii) accroitre la participation des femmes dans l’enseignement supérieur et dans la recherche scientifique au Mali, la participation du secteur privé au développement de la science, de la technologie et de l’innovation au Mali et la participation d’étudiants défavorisés mais méritant sur le plan académique.
La délégation du RUFORUM, présidée par le professeur George Kanyama-Phiri, a félicité le gouvernement du Mali pour les efforts en cours visant à renforcer l’agriculture et à promouvoir la science, la technologie et l’innovation pour le développement économique du Mali.
Bamako 15 September 2019. The Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), a network of 114 universities across 38 countries in Africa has, in partnership with the IPR/IFRA, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the Ministry of Agriculture and Sasakawa Global, organized a three-day Higher Education Forum in Bamako, Mali to (i) deliberate on advancing Africa’s response to Higher Education disparities and support to disadvantaged students; (ii) mobilize the private sector to take active role and investment in agricultural education and transformation efforts; (iii) take stock of Higher Education and agricultural priorities and development needs of Mali, a post-conflict country; and (iv) foster linkages between the Higher Education sector in Mali and the RUFORUM network of universities. Since 2018, as part of aligning operations for delivery of the Vision 2030 to create a Pan African Network, RUFORUM strategically intensified on advocacy with African Governments to support its initiatives with the member universities in the 38 countries in Africa. To assist Mali in the efforts toward agriculture transformation, excellence in Higher Education and science research, and universities’ competitiveness, a team of eight Vice Chancellors of RUFORUM member universities, RUFORUM governance bodies and other stakeholders visited Mali the week of 9thto 14th September 2019 to engage stakeholders of Higher Education in Mali, policy makers, and private sector representatives to explore areas of partnership, and to lesson learn from Mali and each other. The Mali meeting was also part of the move by RUFORUM to increase its presence in West Africa.
As part of the process, a Higher Education Symposium Day was held on 11th September 2019 to facilitate a national dialogue on status and future of Higher Education, as well as the process of transformation of Science, Technology and Innovation in Mali with participation of Universities and Polytechnic, Policy, and Private Sector players. The meeting was opened by the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, with the welcoming remarks by the Mayor of Commune 3, and the RUFORUM Board Chair.
In her welcoming remarks, the Mayor of the “Commune 3”, introduced Mali’s current status as in dire need of increasing agricultural production and productivity through application of Science, technology and innovation, and the thrust to fight against rampant diseases and poverty. She further pointed out the need to provide increased focus and support to vulnerable but academically deserving students. The RUFORUM Board Chair Prof George Kayama-Phiri explained that the recent expansion of RUFORUM across the African continent is in response to the urgent need to advance the transformation of Africa’s Agriculture. He also pointed out that as Africa is endowed with enough resources, there should not be hunger and poverty in the continent; what is needed is sustained commitment and investment effort into Higher Education and research system to defeat hunger and poverty in Africa. “We need to build capacities of Agricultural Scientists, Veterinarians, Microbiologists, Engineers, and Nutritionists”. Finally in his opening speech, the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research stressed that Science, Technology and Innovation remain powerful drivers of sustainable and inclusive socio-economic development. He welcomed the Higher Education symposium, as a unique opportunity to interact and discuss at national level, on how best to advance Mali and Africa continent.
A key paper was presented during the engagement in Mali on the Status of Higher Education in Mali with a Gender Perspective. This helped provide opportunity for the audience and the panelists to discuss key issues and solutions for transformation of Malian agriculture through STI, financing scientific research and technology in Mali, increasing the participation of women in Higher Education and scientific research in Mali, participation of private sector actors for development of Science, Technology and Innovation in Mali and participation of disadvantaged but academically deserving students in Higher Education. The RUFORUM delegation led by Prof. George Kanyama-Phiri, the Board Chair congratulated the Government of Mali for the current efforts on strengthening agriculture and promoting Science, Technology and Innovation for economic development in Mali.
The Agribusiness Incubation Hub (AIH) at Bishop Stuart University (BSU) held a Web 2.0 and Social Media training primarily for its student entrepreneurs (incubatees) to enable them extract content from the web, create content and utilize social media platforms to effectively market their products and services, among other things. Established with support from the Transforming African Agricultural Universities to meaningfully contribute to Africa’s growth and development (TAGDev) Programme, a partnership between The MasterCard Foundation and Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), the Hub seeks to nurture innovative enterprises from young entrepreneurs at BSU and support linkage to potential markets. This training constituted part of its support activities.
Students attending the Web 2.0 and Social Media training
The training was conducted from 11 – 15 March 2019 and facilitated by a team from Youth in Technology and Development Uganda (YITEDEV) led by CEO, Mr. Robert Kibaya. A total of 30 participants took part in the training; 20 incubatees, 4 members of staff from Bishop Stuart University, and 6 partners and staff of AVSI Foundation, a development partner of BSU. Concepts covered included: Web 2.0 principles, selective access to information, content curation, remote collaboration, online mapping, online conversation, blogging and the use of social media in agribusiness. Core training materials were provided by the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA), based in the Netherlands. Some of the social media platforms created by the incubatees include Twitter accounts, blogs and Facebook pages. Participants with already existing accounts used the opportunity to enhance them to market their business enterprises.
One of the participant’s Twitter pages
On completion of the training, participants were awarded certificates by the Academic Registrar of Bishop Stuart University. Even after the training, the facilitators continued to provide follow up support to the enable the trainees effectively share information online. The students entrepreneurs expressed great appreciation for the training and for some of them the benefits were already visible. One student, Mr. Hillary Nahurira, testified that during the training he had been able to link up with another agripreneur from Zambia.
Participants show off their certificates at the end of the training
