Transforming tertiary agricultural education and training through private sector linkages

Typically, capacity strengthening in African tertiary education systems has focused on human and institutional capacity building. Rarely does capacity strengthening embrace the private sector in a major way. Our preposition is that the private sector has an important role to play in fostering economic development and because of that, it should be an integral part of institutional capacity building. Three reasons among others stand out to demonstrate why the private sector is vital in building strong and sustainable institutions. Firstly, although in terms of absolute numbers the public sector in many countries still employs more graduates than the private sector, the rate of growth in the private sector is currently greater than in the public sector. In the next 2-3 decades, the private sector will be the main employer in most African countries. It is therefore vital to collaborate with the private sector in order to understand the nature and structure of the demand for graduates if institutions are to respond meaningfully to their needs. Secondly, intensive interaction with the private sector is necessary if mindsets in tertiary institutions are to change. Private sector presence will influence curricula, research and outreach protocols and content, leading to more relevance and effectiveness of their products (graduates, research findings, and extension programs). Thirdly, the private sector is the most viable and sustainable funding mechanism for higher education institutions. Public coffers are unable to provide sufficient funds for these institutions to produce adequate numbers of graduates with the skills required by the increasingly commercial agriculture in Africa. Our experience in various private sectors has significantly helped us share and integrate initiatives underway in a USAID-Feed the Future capacity strengthening project in Tanzania called the Innovative Agricultural Research Initiative (iAGRI). This project aims to build the capacity of Sokoine University of Agriculture and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives. In addition to long-term degree training and collaborative research, the project is engaged in several organizational experiments intended to develop and refine models for integrating the private sector into curricula, teaching, research and outreach. For example, iAGRI trains researchers to communicate with the private sector, brokers negotiations between researchers and investors, and ensures quality management of research projects. There are several private sector integration experiences by some universities in eastern and southern Africa. These experiences have been assembled under the Modernizing African Food Systems Project, an IFAD funded project implemented by Makerere University, Michigan State University, University of Pretoria and Stellenbosch University. Key messages on ways in which African agricultural education and training institutions can integrate the private sector in their several institutional planning, functions, and activities include: (a) curriculum development and review,(b) field practical attachments and internships,(c)orienting graduate students and academic staff to translate their research topics into commercially viable ideas and hence catching the attention of private firms and NGOs; and (d) improved joint utilization of university assets for mutual profitable outcome. Funding remains a critical factor in maintaining and managing viable universities. Thus, the foregoing approaches and several others can be used to boost available resources for teaching and learning, research and outreach.