What is the programme about?
The ACP-EU under its academic mobility programme, Mwalimu Nyerere,has provided funding to support training of graduate students in African universities. In this mobility programme twelve African partner institutions will collaborate in the training of professionals to enhance agricultural productivity and assure food security for sub-Saharan Africa. 43 Masters and 20 PhD will be trained in the thematic areas of Plant Production and Protection, Environment and Adaptation to Climate Change, Management of Protected Areas and Natural Grasslands, Dryland Management for Agriculture, Agro-forestry and Environment, Research Methods and Approaches in Agriculture and Women and Gender in Agriculture.
In addition 10 administrative staff will participate in a capacity building program mainly in areas of financial and international student management among others. Mobility partners will either act as sending or hosting institutions. The project will provide fellowships for full degree programs (PhDs and MSc) as well as short term mobility for students and staff and will run from 2014 until 2018.
Project Objectives
- To produce graduates with broad skills to manage both fragile and non-fragile ecosystems.
- To build capacity of students from West Africa and other regions for sustainable management of Protected Areas and Natural Grasslands.
- Have diversified opportunities in universities as researchers and at research centres in West Africa as biometricians are very scarce in the region. This is also true of other regions in Africa.
- Train and equip highly motivated students, who possess leadership and innovative extension delivery attributes, with the requisite knowledge and skills in crop science