Story by Nyasha Makota
THE 21st Annual General Meeting of the Regional Universities Forum for Agricultural Development (RUFORUM) has officially opened in Gaborone, Botswana, with a focus on reinforcing the role of African universities in driving continental development.
This year’s meeting carries the theme: “Positioning Africa’s Universities and the Higher Education Sector to Effectively Impact Development Processes on the Continent.” Delegates are set to explore strategies for enhancing higher education’s contribution to Africa’s socio-economic growth.
Over 600 participants, including vice-chancellors, researchers, students, and international partners such as the European Union, are attending the forum.
Zimbabwe is represented by a cross-section of public and private institutions, including: University of Zimbabwe, Midlands State University, Bindura University of Science Education, Women’s University in Africa, Chinhoyi University of Technology, Great Zimbabwe University, Manicaland State University of Applied Science, and Marondera University of Agricultural Science and Technology.
“For us, this forum is critical. It is about aligning our teaching and research directly with continental goals. We are here to share how we are generating the skilled graduates and innovations, such as in climate-resilient practices needed to transform Zimbabwe’s agri-food systems and support our own Vision 2030,” UZ Executive Director for Research, Innovation and Industrialisation, Professor Florence Mutambanengwe said.
For Zimbabwe, this is a continuation of a strong commitment. It is worth remembering that Zimbabwe hosted this very forum in 2023, officially opened by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
That legacy continues today, as Zimbabwean universities leverage this regional platform to advance the nation’s industrialisation and innovation agenda under Vision 2030.
