Emerging Partnership: to synergize African efforts of digitizing agricultural knowledge & information

RUFORUM brought together five strategic African partners to discuss opportunities of submitting a proposal in response to challenge 4 of the current FP7 ICT Call. Challenge 4 focuses on Digital Libraries and Digital Preservation. The planning meeting was held on the 8th to the 9th of February 2010 at the Imperial Resort Beach Hotel, Entebbe, Uganda. The following international organisations were represented:

1. Association of African Universities represented by Dr Pascal Hoba
2. ASARECA represented by Ms Jacqueline Nyagahima
3. FARA represented by Ms Jacqueline Nnam
4. NEPAD E-Africa Commission represented by Dr Towela Nyirenda-Jere
5. WOUGNET represented by Ms Janet Achora
6. RUFORUM was represented by Professor Ekwamu Adipala, Ms Nodumo Dhlamini and Miss Joan Apio

RUFORUM sees the European Framework Programme Seven as an opportunity to network with European and African partners for the purposes of improving the sharing and management of agricultural information and knowledge. RUFORUM is keen to ensure that her ICT strategy links with the NEPAD agenda and to progress her ICT Mission – “to use emerging technologies and opportunities offered by ICTs to strengthen the capacities of universities to foster innovations responsive to demands of small-holder farmers”. RUFORUM would also like to engage with various development partners to test emerging ICT technologies and their application to the agricultural sector for the benefit of poor communities in an endeavor to improve livelihoods.

The planning meeting was very successful and a workplan has been put in place to ensure that the proposal is completed by the end of March 2010 and submitted.