We are thrilled to invite you to the "Roundtable on Food Security Education," organized by the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS), in conjunction with the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM).
Background:
In an era of evolving regional trends, there is an urgent need for an innovative education program designed to equip the next generation of experts in Food Security. This program will instill modern approaches to protect and enhance rural livelihoods, promote equity, and improve social well-being. It will focus on optimizing resource efficiency critical to sustainable agriculture and nurturing experts capable of building robust business models along the food supply chain, leveraging urban environments for local food production and distribution, and evaluating governance mechanisms for sustainable food production.
The IOFS Secretariat is committed to actively collaborating with higher education institutions to shape the framework of this Food Security Education program. Furthermore, the IOFS will embark on piloting this program at one of the universities and share this valuable experience with member states and international organizations to foster similar initiatives in universities, schools, and other institutions.
About RUFORUM:
RUFORUM, a consortium of over 160 African universities, plays a pivotal role in strengthening university capacities to foster innovations that respond to the needs of small-holder farmers. RUFORUM emphasizes high-quality researcher training, output of impact-oriented research, and the maintenance of collaborative relationships among researchers, farmers, national agricultural research institutions, and governments.
The 2023 RUFORUM AGM is dedicated to exploring the synergy between universities and agriculture for agricultural transformation. It also serves as a platform for dialogue on critical issues affecting Agricultural Higher Education, Science, Technology Innovation, and Industrialization in Africa.
Event Details:
In close cooperation with RUFORUM, and in line with the Memorandum and Joint Action Plan signed in Kigali, Republic of Rwanda, on 09 September 2022, the IOFS Secretariat is excited to present the "Roundtable on Food Security Education." This enlightening event will be held on 2 November 2023 in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Roundtable Objectives:
- Explore challenges and perspectives at the intersection of education and food security
- Establish a platform for agricultural universities to share experiences and best practices in developing interdisciplinary programs on food security
- Emphasize the importance of including subjects related to policies, strategies, and legal frameworks addressing food insecurity in educational programs
- Share insights on creating and maintaining courses on food security, syllabi development, lecturer identification, and support materials
- Present successful practices for establishing Centers on food security within different faculties and fostering research networks and projects
- Conduct a gap analysis of existing food security objectives and curricula for coherence and relevance to the African context, with a focus on sustainability and inclusivity
- Introduce the IOFS initiative to establish the Association of Agricultural Academies (AAA) to enhance cooperation in agricultural science among research institutions of OIC Member States
Event Format:
The Roundtable will be conducted in person with the option for online Zoom participation. The event will take place on 2 November 2023 in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Language:
English (with interpretation into Arabic and French available upon request)
For more information about this workshop, please contact Mr. Bakytzhan Arystanbek, Program Manager, Programmes and Projects Office, Islamic Organization for Food Security.
- Mobile/Whatsapp: +7 701 881 2532
- Office: +7 7172 99-99-00
- Email: b.arystanbek@iofs.org.kz
Join us in this collaborative effort to shape the future of food security education and drive meaningful change in the agricultural landscape. We look forward to your participation and contributions to this important initiative!
