Background and Objectives

It has long been perceived throughout the world, that Higher Education plays a critical role in preparing and providing the leadership to meet these challenges and to stimulate sustainable development. In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), Higher education in agriculture and natural resource management (NRM) in particular is well placed to contribute to this process.
Despite past investments by African governments in Higher Education, the hope that universities would provide solutions to Africa’s problems is yet to be realized. There has been an enormous loss through emigration of talented faculty to other continents. There is underinvestment, loss of incentives and failure to recruit replacements for an ageing group of educators. It is estimated that 23,000 qualified academic professionals emigrate from Africa each year in search of better working conditions. Many of these are in agriculture and natural resources, areas that are of crucial economic importance for most African countries. In addition to these challenges, it is also accepted that the current curricula and teaching & learning methods are unsuitable for achieving the objectives of agricultural education.
The general objective of the symposium is to establish mechanisms for building long-term scientific and institutional capacity in SSA tertiary agriculture and NRM institutions. The specific objectives are to:

• Share experiences in the development of agricultural education programmes that are responsive to societal needs, including business and entrepreneurship
• Discuss global competition for education resources and positioning of Africa in the areas of agriculture and natural resources
• Analyse policy and institutional capacity challenges and develop recommendations for re-building agricultural capacity in SSA

Expected Outputs

The major outputs are:

1. Enhanced information sharing and strategies for making African Agricultural Education relevant and effective
2. Strategies and advice for making agricultural education and research in Africa competitive
3. Specific advice to African universities and governments on ways and means for recognizing and enhancing the role of agricultural education in national development

Participants

Prospective participants must be persons involved in policy making, financing, managing or teaching at tertiary level in agriculture, forestry or NRM. Those involved in agricultural research and industry are also invited.

Symposium Sub-Themes

Papers are invited on the following five sub themes:

1. Contextualizing agricultural and NRM education
   This sub theme is on how our tertiary agriculture, agroforestry and natural resource institutions can develop and implement appropriate and relevant policies and institutional arrangements that maximise on staff development and retention and the production of relevant graduates. What can be done to forestall brain drain, produce relevant graduates and make our institutions real “centres of excellence”? How can we improve relevance and effectiveness of agricultural education?
2. Building the capacity to compete globally
   Recognising the main advantages and challenges of African agricultural education.  Putting into context the roles played by women and youth in agricultural production in Africa. Sharing innovative approaches that can empower the poor through agricultural knowledge. This may include cultivating Non-Timber Tree and Forest Products, which
   play significant roles in the daily lives and overall wellbeing of rural and urban people in Africa as sources for food, medicines, fodder, gums, fibre and construction material..
3. Effective Agricultural Institutions
   As the mainstay of agricultural prosperity, Africa’s agricultural institutions must be strengthened to cope with local and external needs. Managing agricultural risks and uncertainty markets Climate change will increase the number of El Niño like conditions, especially pertaining to markets, climate change effects water and energy are issues that are gaining prominence in the future and have potential to impact heavily on agricultural sustainability.
4. Impact of HIV and AIDS on agriculture sector
   In many SSA Countries, the HIV and AIDS scourge has grown beyond the health sector. Its effects must be attacked from all possible angles including agriculture. Agricultural solutions in terms of labour saving technologies, nutritious foods and food reserve strategies are issues that require debate and strategies.

Call for Abstracts, Posters and Full Papers

• Abstracts should be typed in Times New Roman, Font size 12 and should not be more than 300 words. All submissions should be in Microsoft Word.doc
• Posters should not be more than 1 m2 in size
• Papers should not be more than 15 pages including pictures, figures, tables and reference
• All papers should have Title; Name of author(s); Institutional affiliation; email address(es); abstract; key subject words (2-5); body of paper and references
• Accepted papers will be published in the Symposium proceedings and only selected papers will be published in a book.
• A copy of the symposium proceedings and the book will be sent to the authors upon publication

Submission and Review Process

• Submit abstracts via email to anafe07@chanco.unima.mw with copies to jnamangale@chanco.unima.mw, smakungwa@bunda.unima.mw, forestry@bunda.unima.mw, and schakeredza@africa-online.net
• Final papers must be sent via email attachment to the same addresses
• Copyright information: Submission of a paper to the Symposium indicates the author’s permission to publish the paper in written or electronic format for distribution without compensation to the author
• Confirmation of participation will be done after the abstracts are approved by the organising committee

Registration and Symposium Fees

The registration form is appended. Complete the form and send it to the organizers either electronically or by post. The registration fees per person are identified in the registration form. The fee covers ground transport, reception, tea/coffee and snacks, book of abstracts and a copy of conference proceedings. Organizers can provide invitation letters for those who need them in order to secure sponsorship.

Accomodation

There are two lodges, one hotel and an Inn of very high standard in Zomba Bed and Breakfast rates range from US$25 to US$ 105. See registration form for more details.

Travelling to Malawi

Visitors to Malawi should have a valid passport and visa and evidence of yellow fever vaccination. Flights should be booked to land at Chileka airport, Blantyre. Detailed information about travelling to Malawi can be accessed at http://www.uyaphi.com As travelling requirements can change at any time; visitors are advised to check with their nearest Malawian Embassy or High Commission well in advance of their travelling date.

Timeline

Countries whose nationals do not require visas include: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Botswana, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominica, Fiji, Finland, Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Portugal, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Isles, South Africa, Swaziland, Sweden, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, USA, Vanuatu, Zambia, Zimbabwe.