Botswana, 1–5 December 2025
FANRPAN participated in the 21st RUFORUM Annual General Meeting, held in Gaborone, Botswana, from 1 to 5 December 2025. Leaders from government, higher education, research institutions, industry, and development partners convened to reflect on the future of Africa’s universities and their contributions to the continent’s development. Guided by the theme “Positioning Africa’s Universities and Higher Education Sector to Effectively Impact Development Processes on the Continent,” the AGM brought together more than 1,100 participants from 45 countries to advance a renewed commitment to strengthening the role of higher education in supporting economic transformation, knowledge generation, and the resilience of agri-food systems.
Through our CEO’s participation in the high-level deliberations, FANRPAN engaged in discussions that underscored the importance of repositioning African universities as engines of innovation, policy influence, and societal transformation. The meeting highlighted the need to modernize university training models, expand postgraduate and PhD training capacity, and strengthen linkages between research, innovation ecosystems, and labour market needs. Participants emphasized the centrality of science, technology, digital skills, and innovation in shaping Africa’s competitiveness and accelerating progress toward Agenda 2063 and CAADP priorities, particularly in relation to agricultural productivity, climate resilience, and value-chain development.
The discussions further reinforced the critical role of universities in advancing agri-food systems transformation by co-creating context-relevant technologies, strengthening research partnerships with industry and farmers, and expanding opportunities for youth and women to participate meaningfully in agricultural innovation and entrepreneurship. The AGM also called for stronger institutional sustainability, improved governance, enhanced resource mobilization capacity, and deeper collaboration across universities, governments, the private sector, and development actors to ensure that research outputs translate into measurable development outcomes.
FANRPAN’s participation in the AGM aligns closely with our mission to promote evidence-based policies and multi-stakeholder dialogue that bridges research, policy, and practice across Africa’s food and agricultural systems. The outcomes from the meeting present valuable opportunities for further engagement with higher education institutions and regional partners, particularly in strengthening policy alignment, knowledge translation, and collaborative action to support inclusive, climate-resilient, and innovation-driven agri-food systems across the continent.