Press Release
For immediate release | 01 March, 2018
RUFORUM awards 19 Post-Doctoral Fellowships
1st March, 2018 Kampala, Uganda
The Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), a consortium of 85 Universities in 35 African Countries, is pleased to announce the recipients of the ‘Wajao’, a two year post-doctoral programme funded by Carnegie Cooperation of New York. Wajao targets former beneficiaries of regional doctoral training programmes who were funded by Carnegie through RUFORUM. The call for the fellowships attracted 34 applicants from nine African countries among whom the RUFORUM Technical Committee made the final selection during their meeting convened on 22nd February, 2018 at the RUFORUM Secretariat.
This fellowship aims at increasing and ensuring high retention rate of African graduates in Africa in order to strengthen universities and research institutions capacity to meet the growing demand for higher education and research for creating knowledge and prosperity on the continent.
The two year post-doctoral fellowships builds on, and helps to scale up, RUFORUM’s commitment to strengthening postgraduate training and academic mobility in Africa. Since 2009, RUFORUM with support from the Carnegie Cooperation of New York and other agencies has contributed to the training of 436 PhD graduates, 97% of whom upon completion of their studies return to their home countries and integrate back into teaching and research.
Nineteen (19) fellowships were awarded based on, among other criteria, the nature of the proposed fellowship, a clear deployment and mentorship plan, as well as a demonstrated plan to support research and mentorship of graduate students.
RUFORUM thanks all applicants and congratulates the 19 Post-Doctoral fellowship recipients. Below is the list of the selected fellows.
1 List of Successful RUFORUM Post-Doctoral Candidates
No Full Name Nationality Gender Programme Post Doc Host Institution Home Institution
1 Afutu, Emmanuel Ghana Male PhD Plant Breeding and University of Cape Coast University of Cape Coast Biotechnology 2 Akello, Sarah Uganda Female PhD Agricultural and Makerere University Makerere University Rural Innovation 3 Mwololo, James Kyalo Kenya Male PhD Plant Breeding and Makerere University ICRISAT Biotechnology 4 Singini, Wales Malawi Male PhD Aquaculture and Mzuzu University Mzuzu University Fisheries Sciences 5 Egeru, Anthony Uganda Male PhD Dryland Resource Gulu University Makerere University Management 6 Agoyi, Etchikinto Eric Benin Male PhD Plant Breeding and University of Abomey-Calavi University of Abomey-Calavi Biotechnology 7 Kongai Biruma, Hellen Uganda Female PhD Agriculture and Makerere University Makerere University Resource Economics 8 Chikuta, Sally Zambia Female PhD Plant Breeding and University of Zambia Ministry of Agriculture, Biotechnology Zambia 9 Ochieng, Peter Kenya Male PhD Software Jomo Kenyatta University of Jomo Kenyatta University of Engineering Agriculture and Technology Agriculture and Technology 10 Yatuha, Jane Uganda Female PhD Aquaculture and Makerere University Mbarara University of Fisheries Sciences Science and Technology 11 Rugare, Joyful Zimbabwe Male PhD Agriculture Sciences University of Zimbabwe University of Zimbabwe
12 Ssekandi, Joseph Uganda Male PhD Dryland Resource Uganda Martyrs University Uganda Martyrs University Management 13 Birindwa, Bwihangane Congo - DRC Male PhD Dryland Resource Evangelical University in Evangelical University in Management Africa - DRC/ ILRI Africa - DRC
2 No Full Name Nationality Gender Programme Post Doc Host Institution Home Institution
14 Ssebuliba Mutumba, Uganda Male PhD Agricultural and Makerere University Makerere University Richard Rural Innovation 15 Alio, Deborah Uganda Female PhD Agricultural and Busitema University Makerere University Rural Innovation 16 Agbahoungba, Symphorien Benin Male PhD Plant Breeding and University of Abomey-Calavi University of Abomey-Calavi Biotechnology 17 Karubanga, Gabriel Uganda Male PhD Agricultural and Makerere University Makerere University Rural Innovation 18 Nzuve, Felister Mbute Kenya Female PhD Plant Breeding and University of Nairobi University of Nairobi Biotechnology 19 Odogwu, Blessing Nigeria Female PhD Plant Breeding and University of Port Harcourt University of Port Harcourt Biotechnology
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Notes to Editors: The Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), is a consortium of 85 African universities operating in 35 countries on the continent with a mission to ‘strengthen the capacities of Universities to foster innovations responsive to demands of smallholder farmers through the training of high quality researchers, the output of impact oriented research and the maintenance of collaborative working relations among researchers, farmers, national agricultural research institutions’. RUFORUM was established by Vice Chancellors in 2004 with a Secretariat hosted at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. In 2014 RUFORUM signed an MoU with the African Union Commission to support implementation of the Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA 2024) Priority One on reducing poverty and ensuring food and nutrition security. RUFORUM has supported the training of 1716 MSc and 436 PhD graduates, of whom 94% work in their countries or region, the generation of over 300 agricultural technologies and mobilized over US$169 million for strengthening postgraduate education in Africa. Please visit www.ruforum.org for more information.
For additional information, photos and interviews, contact Ms Maureen Agena, Program Officer - Communications, Marketing & Advocacy, below.
Contacts:
Name: Maureen Agena Program Officer - Email: [email protected] Communications, Marketing & Advocacy
Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) Plot 151/155 Garden Hill, Makerere University Main Campus P.O. Box 16811 Kampala, Uganda Tel: +256-417-713-300 (office) | Direct Line: +256-417-713-317 Twitter: @ruforumsec Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ruforumnetwork Blog: http://blog.ruforum.org/ Website: www.ruforum.org
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