The 2012 RUFORUM Biennial Conference is the third in the series. The main objective of the Biennial conferences is to provide a platform for agricultural research for development stakeholders in Africa and beyond to actively exchange findings and experiences, while at the same time learning lessons towards improving performance of the agricultural sector and ultimately people’s livelihoods. The biennial conference is RUFORUM’s most comprehensive meeting for the diversity of stakeholers in agriculture. It is especially dedicated to graduate students and their supervisors, grantees in RUFORUM member universities and alumni. It is a platform for peer review, quality control, mentorship, networking and shared learning. The third Biennial Conference was attended by 657 participants.This record contains an extended abstract accepted under the theme of Strengthening Science & Technology
Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships: How can Universities in Africa better engage to Nurture and Sustain partnerships?
Abstract:
The African European Partnerships on Agricultural Research
for Development (PAEPARD) presents a unique opportunity
for African Universities to meet the increasing demand to join
multi-stakeholder platforms. Based on the theory of innovation
process, that defines innovation as “the application of novelty
(idea, technology or process) in new ways that generate
economic and social benefits to those involved and to wider
society” and that “innovation results from a process of
networking and interactive learning among a heterogeneous
set of actors”, PAEPARD has launched 2 calls to which 14/81
and 7/69 were led by Universities. A total of five have been
selected to date for PAEPARD support. Two possible
processes were considered; Seeding and grafting but a hybrid
involving four broad process of Brokering partnerships, Inception
workshop, Writer shop, and Applying for funding was adopted.
Between the first and second cohorts, Agricultural Innovation
Facilitators (AIFs) were introduced as neutral and more
objective external facilitators. Several lessons and issues have
emerged that African Universities can help shade more light
and propose possible solutions. The purpose of this paper
therefore is to solicit the input of African universities on how
best to engage them as stakeholders, to and generate discussions
about the key lessons and issues emerging.
La plate-forme de Partenariat Africain-Européen sur la
Recherche Agricole pour le développement (PAEPARD- en
Ang lais) offre une opportunité unique aux universités Africaines
de satisfaire le besoin croissant en plateformes multi-acteurs.
Se basant sur la théorie du processus d’innovation qui définit
l’innovation comme l’application de la nouveauté (idée,
technologie ou processus) d’une nouvelle façon qui génère lesbénéfiques économiques et sociaux à ceux qui sont impliqués
dans le processus et à toute la société au sens large et sachant
que l’innovation résulte du processus de réseautage et du
processus d’apprentissage collectif parmi une hétérogénéité
d’acteurs, PAEPARD a lancé 2 appels dont 14/81 et 7/69 notes
conceptuelles étaient pilotées par les universitees. Au total 5
notes conceptuelles ont été sélectionnées pour recevoir l’appui
de PAEPARD. Deux procédures ont été considères ; le
processus long et le processus court mais un processus hybride
a été suivi en étapes telles que identification des partenaires,
l’atelier d’initiation au partenariat, l’atelier d’écriture, et la
demande de financement proprement dite. Les consortia ont
utilisé les facilitateurs d’innovation externes. Beaucoup de leçons
et de questions ont été tirées. Les universités peuvent aider à
apporter d’éclairage et proposer les possibles solutions. D’où
le but de cet article est de solliciter la contribution des universitees
sur comment ils peuvent s’impliquer comme parties prenantes
et à discuter les principales leçons et les questions qui se posent
dans le processus.
Language:
English
Extended abstracts submitted under Strengthening Science & Technology
Date of publication:
2012
Country:
Region Focus:
East Africa
Collection:
RUFORUM Conferences and Workshops
Agris Subject Categories:
Agrovoc terms:
Additional keywords:
Licence conditions:
Open Access
Access restriction:
Form:
Printed resource
Publisher:
ISSN:
E_ISSN:
Edition:
Notes:
