Strategic Planning and Programme Implementation Meeting between RUFORUM and Ghent University

The Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) is a Network of 55 universities in 22 African countries. RUFORUM supports capacity building efforts across Africa through a partnership led approach involving a range of actors in accordance with its Theory of Change (TOC). The strategic application of the theory of change allows RUFORUM’s impact to be felt at various levels and increases the participation and actor involvement in RUFORUM activities. Accordingly RUFORUM engages with actors within and outside Africa to deliver of the strategic vision and mission as well as allied objectives. One of such partnerships exists with Ghent University and AGRINATURA. Through this partnership RUFORUM, Ghent University and AGRINATURA have collaborated in joint project application and implementation. In 2012, together with Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Makerere University (MAK), and African Biodiversity Conservation and Innovations Centre (ABCIC), RUFORUM and AGRINATURA submitted application to the ACP-EU Co-operation Programme in Higher Education (EDULINK II) with a project proposal focused on “Establishing and Piloting Postgraduate Programmes for Supporting Agricultural Development in Post Conflict Countries of Central and Eastern Africa-ADECEA Project - FED/2013/320-203”. This project proposal was successful (http://www.acp-edulink.eu/content/establishing-and-piloting-postgraduate-programmes-supporting-agricultural-development-post-c) and is under implementation year II. As part of continued engagement and wider partnership between RUFORUM, AGRINATURA and Ghent University, Prof. De’Haese undertook a mission to RUFORUM Secretariat, Kampala to discuss arrange of issues including project implementation and other subsequent collaboration arrangements. A partnership and planning meeting was subsequently held at the RUFORUM Secretariat with the following objectives:  Review joint programmes implemented  Develop a comprehensive understanding of the RUFORUM and Ghent University engagements  Develop a clear focus on the current possible projects and provide way forward  Explore future collaboration and enhanced resource mobilisation for RUFORUM from Belgium.