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3.1.4 Improvement of the educational system and creating
critical mass
Type 4 initiatives are directly aimed at improving agricultural
education. This involves the enhancement of the quality of
education, either by training of teachers and improving curricula
or by increasing the critical mass of scientists by providing
A focus on Sub-Sahara Africa
scholarships for higher education in their home countries or
abroad. Some initiatives do both. The target groups thus are mostcommonly
graduate students and teachers or entire faculties.
Specifically there are many initiatives that target the improvement
of the general higher education systems, many of them for
(specific regions in) Africa.
Table 3.4. Examples of Type 4 initiatives: Improvement of the educational system and creating critical mass
Initiative Description Direct aim Indirect outcome Main tools
Netherlands Initiative Initiative of the Netherlands government
Strengthening higher- Capacity development – Advisory services
for strengthening administered by NUFFIC in 22 partner countries education institutions in in bilateral sectors – Training
Capacity in Higher according to principlel: “countries lead, donors developing countries and higher-education – Scholarships
Education (NICHE) support” and flexible interventions attuned to
sector
– Investment in
specific needs.
infrastructure
EDULINK Cooperation programme of ACP and EU providing
funds for projects that strengthen the capacity
of higher education institutions in the area of
management, academics and research and
promote integration in higher education in the ACP
countries
FARA - Building
African Scientific and
Institutional Capacity
(BASIC)
Regional Universities
Forum for Capacity
Building in Agriculture
Source: Author’s assessment of information on initiatives.
FARA is an umbrella organisation bringing together
and forming coalitions of major stakeholders in
agricultural research and development in Africa.
BASIC is one of the programs of FARA and aims to
form partnerships with non-African universities to
improve African education.
Consortium of 25 universities in Africa to develop
and strengthen research. Runs grants program
to strengthen and support training of graduate
students in agriculture. Projects conduct research
on improving rural welfare and include work-plans
for at least 2 graduate students to complete their
training
Improve quality of
education and promote
higher education as
means to reduce
poverty
Improve quality of
education
Increase quantity of
graduates
Foster capacity
building
Build capacity to
achieve improvements
in agricultural sector
Build critical mass to
strengthen research
– Project funds
– Partnerships
– Curriculum
development
– Training of teachers
– Provide funds for
research programs
that include
scholarships
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