Features of the app include:
- The full event schedule sorted by day, speaker, and/or track, and the ability to rate the sessions directly on the app
- Connect and exchange contact details with other attendees
- Share your event experiences on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn
- Follow the event on Twitter using #RUFORUM
- Find session and exhibitor locations with maps of exhibit halls and session rooms
- See details about all the exhibitors and sponsors
- To download and install the app,follow the steps below;
- For apple and andriod users, please click here directly from your phone
- For BlackBerry, Windows Phone users, and Desktop computers, please click here to view using from your device.
- You can search in the apple store or Google play for RUFORUM or Biennial and the application will be listed in your search results
This app performs optimally whether or not there’s an Internet connection. For Blackberry users, the app version will be online. When connected, the app downloads updates (like a schedule or room change). Once downloaded, all of the data is stored locally on the device so it’s accessible even if there’s no Wi-Fi.
The road to Maputo: 21-25 July 2014.
This is the second in a series of articles we are releasing as part of our 10 year anniversary. The author, Joyce Moock, is a former Associate Vice President of the Rockefeller Foundation and was instrumental in founding FORUM, the predecessor programme to RUFORUM. Click here to see our first release where we announced the anniversary celebrations.
In over a little more than two decades RUFORUM has evolved from a regional, crop-based network of five agricultural faculties into a blockbuster regional consortium of 32 universities in eastern, central and southern Africa. It is now a wholly African governed and managed network with a Secretariat, housed at Makerere University, which provides the platform for catalyzing change in African higher level capacity building.
The RUFORUM model is deliberately based on a high leverage concept that brings about broad change in universities. Through competitive sub-grants, specialized training sessions and intensive knowledge sharing, it exposes universities to both demand and opportunities to produce more relevant graduates and research to serve poor rural communities. RUFORUM’s learning network has been able to impact attitudes, curricula, pedagogical standards and university partnerships with smallholder farmers and with a wide assortment of agricultural development agencies. By operating in a network mode, RUFORUM creates economies of scale in delivering these services. To date, it has served over 1197 postgraduate students (1005 MSc and 192 PhD) and 2,340 faculty, with nearly 40% of the student grants awarded to women. Its Biennial Conferences attract over 600 participants from inside and outside Africa. Its impactful community action programs have drawn support from numerous funders. And the innovations keep coming. Most recently, nine of RUFORUM’s member universities have committed to host a graduate teaching assistants exchange whereby the host university waives fees and provides accommodation for PhD students and staff nominated by their universities. The sending universities provide travel, stipend and research funds. In turn, the host university is eligible to send staff for specialized training to a sister university under the same arrangement. Click here to view or download the full issue
In 2014, the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) celebrates 10 years as a network of universities and 22 years of addressing tertiary agricultural education issues in eastern, central and southern Africa. The Network was created to provide university support to the implementation of the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Program (CAADP), an initiative by African Heads of States and Governments to revamp the agricultural sector and ensure food and nutrition security on the continent. During this period, RUFORUM has worked with universities, small farmers, policy organs and other partners to ensure high quality graduates and research that is relevant to sustainable agriculture and rural development in eastern, central and southern Africa. 2014 marks the tenth anniversary for both RUFORUM and CAADP.
RUFORUM has grown under the guidance of senior African professionals, from a crop-based Rockefeller Foundation programme (FORUM) into a regional broad-based consortium of 32 universities in 18 countries in eastern, central and southern Africa (see Box 1). Its strategic goals are based on two assumptions. First, development is more likely to occur where there is an active, well-informed critical mass of locally based agricultural professionals to conduct relevant problem-solving research. Second, the results of such research are more likely to be applied when based on strengthening a demand-driven research agenda – via linkages to smallholder farmers, community organizations, service agencies and policy makers to ensure research relevance and impact on the one hand and matching training and education to the potential job market on the other. Click here to read more on the RUFORUM Celebration@10
The Hosting University for the 4th Biennial Conference, 2014
The 2014 RUFORUM Biennial Conference is the fourth in the series. Its main objective is to provide a platform for agricultural research to development stakeholders in Africa and elsewhere. The biennial aims to allow participants to exchange findings, experience, and lessons learned in order to improve the performance of the continent’s agriculture sector and impact on people’s livelihoods. It is especially dedicated to the network’s postgraduate students and their supervisors, grantees in RUFORUM’s member universities, and members of the RUFORUM alumni family. It is a platform for peer review, quality control, mentorship, networking, and shared learning.
This year’s biennial coincides with RUFORUM’s tenth anniversary and the African Union Commission decision to celebrate 2014 as a year of agriculture and food security in Africa and to mark the 10th anniversary of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). Thus, the 2014 Biennial will provide an opportunity to African universities, researchers, development practitioners, and others to reflect on progress over the last decade and device strategies or options for accelerating agricultural progress on the continent. RUFORUM anticipates over 300 participants from within and outside Africa. The 2014 Biennial will link stakeholders in agriculture to new products and trends, with a particular focus on strengthening partnerships for higher education in agriculture. Biennial participants will have an opportunity to showcase their contributions to agricultural development in Africa. Young researchers will be exposed to innovative agricultural research and will have an opportunity to strengthen their communication skills through participation in special workshops, poster sessions, and participation in panel sessions.Read more by clicking here
Three RUFORUM Secretariat staff members (Nodumo Dhlamini, Joan Apio and Rebecca Mwima) traveled to Haramaya University in Eastern Ethiopia to conduct Web 2.0 Training for 27 female post-graduate students. The training has been supported by both RUFORUM and CTA.
In 2012 RUFORUM awarded Haramaya University in Ethiopia a grant to support female post-graduate students in a number of areas. The grant is being implemented by the Gender Directorate at Haramaya led by Dr Emebet Belete Negatu and Dr Jemal Yousuf. The activities of this project include providing E-resources and E-tools training for Research Management for female postgraduate students. This includes training in web 2.0 tools for research and development.The activity is in line with RUFORUM’s vision which focuses on “High performing African universities that produce skilled, proactive graduates, demand driven research outputs and innovation in response to local, regional and national agricultural development priorities”
RUFORUM has been working with CTA and COL (Commonwealth of Learning) since September 2008 to implement Web 2.0 Tools for Research Support and Networking training within its network.
Please read more about the event from:
Dear all,
This is to invite you to join our online discussion forums on the RUFORUM Website.
- to share experiences of how RUFORUM Initiatives, activities and Programs are influencing change in the area of Capacity Building in Agriculture in Africa focusing on agricultural research.
- to contribute to the M&E process on the impact of the RUFORUM Network in influencing Change higher Education in the Agricultural sector
We understand your busy schedule, but we really value your experience and knowledge in such important and critical discussions. Your contributions will really facilitate in shaping better advice and policies for the RUFORUM Network
Please visit our discussion forums by clicking on the following links below:
General discussions:http://www.ruforum.org/content/ruforum-general-forums
Alumni discussions: http://www.ruforum.org/content/welcome-alumni
ANNOUNCEMENT – 3RD RUFORUM BIENNIAL CONFERENCE, 24 – 28 SEPTEMBER 2012
We are pleased to inform you that the Third RUFORUM Biennial Conference will be held in Entebbe, Uganda in conjunction with the RUFORUM Annual General Meeting. Please note these dates and block them to schedule your attendance to this important event
This conference will be hosted by Makerere University in partnership with RUFORUM
CONFERENCE SUB-THEMES
i. Risk and Vulnerability in African Agriculture
ii. Value Chains and Innovation Platforms
iii. Innovations in Agricultural Information, Communication & Knowledge Management
iv. Natural Resource Management
v. Plant and Animal Health Management
vi. Agricultural Marketing, Trade and Policy
vii. Strengthening S&T Capacity in Africa: Engaging Women and Youth
viii. Monitoring and Impact Assessment
ix. Partnerships and Networking
IMPORTANT DATES
Abstracts – 29th February 2012
Extended Abstracts – 30th April 2012
Registration – 30th July 2012
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Ms Nodumo Dhlamini
Email: n.dhlamini@ruforum.org OR secretariat@ruforum.org
Tel: +256414535939
Website: http://www.ruforum.org/content/3rd-ruforum-biennial-regional-conference
6th May 2010
UPDATE ON MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE ON HIGHER EDUCATION IN AGRICULTURE (CHEA) – Africa-wide meeting
The Government of Uganda in conjunction with RUFORUM and other regional and international partners will be hosting this conference from the 15th to the 19th of November 2010.
- Conference announcement: Following the authority from the Ministry of Education and Sports, RUFORUM has issued an announcement for the conference using various media channels and international meetings. Announcements have been circulated globally
- An international planning meeting was held in Montpellier, France in March 2010 attended by 12 international delegates
- We held a meeting in Ghana where we briefed about 15 representatives from various parts of Africa, including Ghana Minister of Education
- Advance invitation has been extended to about 150 persons
- We have contacted key organizations including Africa Union, NEPAD, Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa, COMESA (Common Market for Eastern and southern Africa), Food and Agriculture Organization, International Fund for Agriculture, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, etc
- Contact with Senior African Leaders: We have made contact with the Office of the current Chair of the African Union, HE the President of Malawi, and HE the President of Ghana. We are also making arrangements for meeting the African Union, and making contact with Office of HE the Prime Minister of Ethiopia.
- Draft Programme: Is now ready
- Resource Mobilization: This is on-going. The draft budget is being finalized and we are soliciting for support from various sources.
- Meetings with the Government of Uganda: Update meetings continue to be held with the government
