Working Document Series Open Access Effectiveness of inventory plot patterns and spatial distribution of trees and recruits in West African forest estimates: Recent findings and perspectives R. Glèlè Kakaï Forest inventories constitute an important tool in decision-making by assessing quantitative and qualitative pattern of plant material and its evolution over time. Inventory techniques used in different countries in West Africa are numerou… RUF-36226 2016 CC BY 4.0 17 Oct 2016
Working Document Series Open Access Utilisation of indigenous fruit trees in the Lake Victoria basin districts of Rwanda and Uganda J.G. Agea · C. Bigirimana · E. Bizuru · P. Isubikalu +4 more Ecosystems in Rwanda and Uganda have a diversity of wild tree species many of which are indigenous fruit trees (IFTs) which provide a number of benefits to communities. This study was conducted to assess the utilization of IFTs in the Lake… RUF-36225 2016 CC BY 4.0 17 Oct 2016
Working Document Series Open Access Linking Universities to Communities: The case of EARTH University D. Sherrard This paper shares the approach and experiences of EARTH University in reorienting university curriculum and training approaches that embed strong engagement between a university and communities to not only train a cadre of highly motivated… RUF-36220 2016 CC BY 4.0 17 Oct 2016
Working Document Series Open Access Severe acute malnutrition and post-treatment outcomes among children in Uganda C.S. Karamagi · G.A. Odei · H. Wamani Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) is reported to affect 19 million children under five years worldwide. About 5% of children younger than five years in Uganda are wasted and 2% of these children are said to be severely wasted. Community base… RUF-36218 2016 CC BY 4.0 17 Oct 2016
Working Document Series Open Access Linking universities to communities: The case of Egerton University N.W. Mungai · V.W. Njuguna Egerton University, as a leading institution of higher learning in agriculture and environment in Kenya, has developed innovative approaches to enhance effective dissemination of technologies and contribute to extension service delivery. T… RUF-36211 2016 CC BY 4.0 17 Oct 2016
Working Document Series Open Access Promoting farmer entrepreneurship among smallholders in Uganda P. Atim · M. Edimu · A. Egeru · R. Ekwamu +2 more Smallholder farmers typify agricultural production in Uganda. Smallholder farmers have severally been criticised for the lack of entrepreneurship yet farmer entrepreneurship is generally defined by two facets; the managerial skills needed … RUF-36208 2016 CC BY 4.0 17 Oct 2016
Working Document Series Open Access Preparing students for agricultural employment in sub-Saharan Africa E. Adipala · A. Egeru · H. Makuma-Massa · P. Nampala +1 more There is an increasing need for universities to produce graduates with strong technical skills, practical experience in their areas of specialization, ability to work with rural smallholder farmers and yet with broad development perspectiv… RUF-36204 2016 CC BY 4.0 16 Oct 2016
Working Document Series Open Access Determinants of participation in farmer organisations among smallholder farmers in Malawi M.V. Madola This study investigated the prevalence and the determinants of participation in farmer organisations among smallholder farmers in Balaka District, Malawi. The study explored these issues using a sample of cotton farmers in Malawi, to speci… RUF-36196 2016 CC BY 4.0 16 Oct 2016
Working Document Series Open Access Rural youth participation in Agriculture: Exploring the significance and challenges in the control of agricultural sector in Zambian J.M. Kwenye · T. Sichone Agriculture plays a major role in the economic growth and development of most countries. Consequently, the need for effective and progressive agricultural development is fundamental. To achieve this, the active group of individuals, consti… RUF-36194 2016 CC BY 4.0 16 Oct 2016
Working Document Series Open Access Embedding community engagement in University training curricula: Experiences from Gulu University in Uganda S. W. Kalule · D. Ongeng University-community linkages are thought to provide key inputs for new knowledge, innovations and technologies for economic development. Accordingly, Gulu University, from inception took a community oriented approach as its pillar of iden… RUF-36191 2016 CC BY 4.0 16 Oct 2016
Working Document Series Open Access Towards a new role of agricultural extension in nutrition education: Evidence from western Uganda Margaret Kabahenda · M. Mangheni · F. Shimali Extension and advisory services had their main role as training, communication and dissemination of technical information, improved technologies and practices. However, there is increasingly a realization that extension has to take on new … RUF-36180 2016 CC BY 4.0 16 Oct 2016
Working Document Series Open Access Implementing a digital repository to increase access to agricultural higher education research and learning in Africa: The Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture experience E. Adipala · Joan Apio · J. Kalungi · C. Kuteesa +1 more Providing access to knowledge outputs is important to support development in Africa through strengthening learning, innovation, and avoiding duplication. However, although there has been an increase in the research output from the continen… RUF-36178 2016 CC BY 4.0 16 Oct 2016
Working Document Series Open Access Creating channels, connections, and communities: Experimenting with virtual rural agricultural learning communities in Nkhotakota district, Malawi R. Chapota · P. Chinkhokwe · J. M. Kisebe · C. Mloza-Banda In the simplest form, an agricultural innovation system has three elements: the organizations and individuals involved in generating, diffusing, adapting and using new knowledge; the interactive learning that occurs when organizations enga… RUF-36175 2016 CC BY 4.0 16 Oct 2016
Working Document Series Open Access Strengthening communication and knowledge management for increased agricultural productivity: A Ugandan case study I.N. Kashaija · V. Mbigidde · Barbara Mugwanya-Zawedde For growth and development to occur in the agricultural sector, availability of timely and relevant agricultural research information is important for both planning and practice at all levels. The National Agricultural Research Organisatio… RUF-36171 2016 CC BY 4.0 16 Oct 2016
Working Document Series Open Access Readership analysis of impact storylines from University based research E. Adipala · Joan Apio · A. Egeru · H. Makuma-Massa +2 more By 2025, every smallest personal items to the largest continents, everything, and everywhere will be digitally connected, and responsive to people’s wants and likes. Universities have no choice but to increase the use and availability of k… RUF-36170 2016 CC BY 4.0 15 Oct 2016
Working Document Series Open Access IoT4Food: Harnessing Internet of Things Technology (IoT) for sustainable agriculture E. Bainomugisha The inability to obtain soil characteristics rapidly and inexpensively remains one of the biggest challenges faced by farmers in Uganda and many African countries. Currently, the majority of farmers do not use any scientific means to asses… RUF-36169 2016 CC BY 4.0 15 Oct 2016
Working Document Series Open Access Reception analysis and popularity of American action movies in Kampala, Uganda P. Atim · P. Boshoff This study set out to examine the meaning that young working class men living in Kampala, Uganda, make of American action movies in Bibanda, informal video-viewing halls. The study examined the ways in which these meanings may contribute t… RUF-36167 2016 CC BY 4.0 15 Oct 2016
Working Document Series Open Access The role of mobile phones in accessing agricultural information by smallholder farmers in Ethiopia M. Amir · W. Muluken · N. Peter Information and communication issues have been key topics for agricultural education and extension for decades. Farmers need information on weather forecasts, inputs, improved cultivation practices, pest and disease management and market p… RUF-36164 2016 CC BY 4.0 15 Oct 2016
Working Document Series Open Access Pharm-BioTechnology and Traditional Medicine Centre: An Eastern and Southern Africa Higher Education Centers of Excellence Project at Mbarara University of Science and Technology P.E. Ogwang · C.U. Tolo · Anke Weisheit A regional approach to higher education in Africa offers the best way to build and sustain excellence in higher education in African economies, and to develop the human resources required to address key development challenges facing Africa… RUF-36154 2016 CC BY 4.0 15 Oct 2016
Working Document Series Open Access Centre for Research, Agricultural Advancement, Teaching Excellence and Sustainability in Food and Nutritional Security (CREATES-FNS) at Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST) M. Kimanya · E. Sauli · G. Shirima · E.S. Swai +1 more With nearly 850 million hungry people globally in 2012, there are social, ethical and political imperatives to put more emphasis on food and nutritional security, particularly in the Eastern and Southern Africa region. The region is charac… RUF-36151 2016 CC BY 4.0 15 Oct 2016
Working Document Series Open Access A paradigm shift from monitoring and evaluation to interdisciplinary evaluative systems thinking: The status of evaluative processes and use in African Universities E. Adipala · Moses Osiru · Charles Owuor · M. Waswa This paper is an initial attempt to assess the status and use of evaluative processes in African universities to inform their strategic decisions in face of growing demands for universities to transform and be more relevant in development … RUF-36142 2016 CC BY 4.0 15 Oct 2016
Working Document Series Open Access African Universities by numbers: Monitoring and evaluation dilemma E. Adipala · Moses Osiru · Charles Owuor · M. Waswa This articles draws from experiences of engaging African Universities to assemble basic data on their training and research performance which ordinarily would be readily available as a good practice for internal and external accountability… RUF-36141 2016 CC BY 4.0 15 Oct 2016
Working Document Series Open Access Responding to key gaps in Africa’s Higher Agricultural Education: Lessons from the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture E. Adipala · Moses Osiru In 2014, African Heads of State and Government signed the Malabo Declaration, signaling a change in gear in the implementation of the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Program (CAADP) and related processes in Africa. The road … RUF-36139 2016 CC BY 4.0 15 Oct 2016
Working Document Series Open Access Enhancing internationalization and quality of African universities through academic mobility: Experiences from RUFORUM E. Okalany Academic mobility is a globally accepted mechanism for internationalizing higher education and producing a globally competitive workforce. The Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) has facilitated acade… RUF-36138 2016 CC BY 4.0 15 Oct 2016
Working Document Series Open Access Contribution of Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology to capacity building of agricultural researchers V. Ogemah The role played by smallholder farmers in Africa cannot be overemphasized. Smallholder agricultural production systems contribute significantly to the economic development as well as livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa. The small scale produ… RUF-36137 2016 CC BY 4.0 15 Oct 2016