The University of Cape Coast is among 59 African Institutions of Higher Learning that participated in the 5th African Higher Agricultural Education Week and the Regional University Forum (RUForum) Biennial Conference being held in Cape Town, South Africa.

The theme for the Forum is “Linking Agricultural Universities with civil society, the private sector, governments and other stakeholders in support of Agricultural Development in Africa. In all, more than 750 academics (including 59 Vice-Chancellors and Pro-Vice-Chancellors), agricultural science lecturers, development partners, farmers and government officials are participating in the conference.

The conference which commenced on 14th October is aimed at addressing issues ranging from leadership and Management (for Vice-Chancellors); social media training for graduate students, curriculum development for Dean and Principals of Agriculture Colleges and gender issues in agriculture education.

Opening the conference, the chairperson of the African Union (AU), Her Excellency Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, identified education, health and agriculture as key ingredients in Africa’s development. She tasked African Universities to respond positively to the development needs of Africa.

On her part, the President of Mauritius, Her Excellency Ameena Gurib-Fakim underscored the need for investment in people as critical tool for achieving Africa’s development goals. “I am convinced that the social and economic transformation of the African continent will happen only when higher education becomes central to the development debate,” she emphasised.

The General Assembly of RuForum on Tuesday, 18th October approved Malawi, Kenya, and Ghana to host the conference in 2017, 2018 and 2019 respectively.

UCC was represented by an eight-member delegation led by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Prof. George K. T. Oduro. Other members include the Provost, College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, Prof. L. K. Sam- Amoah; Dean of Agriculture, Prof. Elvis Asare Bediako;  Prof. J. P. Tetteh, Principal Investigator; Dr. K. Agyei Frimpong, Chairman, Research and Conference Committee. The rest are Isaac Mbroh (MPhil Agric. Extension student); Edith A. Fianu (MPhil Crop Science student) and Frank Kumi (PhD Student, Makerere University, RuForum sponsored).