Nairobi 2018

Discussion with Partners in Nairobi, Kenya, Oct 2018
RUFORUM has received the generous support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in support of the Secretariat, its governance, networking and research agenda since 2009. During that time, RUFORUM has strengthened its operations and developed new and enhanced partnerships with other partners, and also received support from many other agencies to implement research, programmes, projects, advocacy, training and scholarships including from MasterCard Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, World Bank, EU, IDRC, etc. During this period, it has shown significant progress in building a framework for engaging African universities in reform processes and enabled them to work more closely together and to produce more relevant graduates and research.   It has also raised the profile of higher education and of RUFORUM. Today, RUFORUM is beginning to get more support as an African-owned and supported network with commitment from some governments to sign a RUFORUM Charter.  However, it is important for RUFORUM to maintain the momentum. RUFORUM thus invites those who have supported it closely in the past decade to assist in framing RUFORUMs growth trajectory into the next decade.

As part of this process, RUFORUM recently developed the RUFORUM Vision 2030 Strategy that seeks to enhance the impact and contribution of universities to development agenda in Africa such as the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 and the African Agenda 2063. RUFORUM also seeks to engage new partners. It is on this basis that RUFORUM is convening a meeting of partners to help it map out a strategy to broaden its partnership base to ensure that RUFORUM continues to strengthen the network and the transformation of higher agricultural education.

Session Aim: To provide a platform for a select group of RUFORUM Development Partners to discuss a way forward for RUFORUM to achieve its Vision of universities at the centre of an ecosystem for rural transformation.

Specifically the Session will

  1. Share the RUFORUM Vision 2030 for contributing significantly to the the SDGs and AU Agenda 2063 with partners
  2. Outline achievements, activities, challenges and lessons learnt over the last years
  3. Discuss with partners how RUFORUM could play a role in reinforcing their own agency initiatives for achieving the African Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals
  4. Propose a meeting and agenda for a more substantive two-day discussion with a broader group of Development Partners to be held in early 2019

Suggested Partners for the 2019 proposed meeting: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, CIDA, DAAD, DFID, JICA, IDRC, Norad, NUFFIC, National Research Foundation, OCP Morocco, SIDA, USAID, World Bank.