Over the last decade African governments' and regional economic organizations have increasingly recognized the need to reshape higher agricultural education to meet the changing needs of the agri-food sector. There is a strong appetite for change but a need for a better understanding of the challenges that universities face in transforming into institutions that can be more dynamic and responsive, especially to the needs of the private sector, that is more relevant by the public sector and meet the rapidly growing demand for university places. The study is being prepared at a time when the World Bank along with other development partners are considering possible approaches to address these challenges. It follows regional dialogue on this theme in Africa in recent years involving African governments, regional agro-innovation and education networks including Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), under the umbrella of the African Union Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Program. (CAADP). The study is structured as follows: section two describes the role of higher agricultural education in the wider agro-innovation system and the means through which higher education can drive transformation of the agri-food sector and economic development in Africa; section three describes global trends in agriculture that will drive changes in employers' knowledge and skills needs; section four describes the implications of these trends for skill and knowledge needs; section five describes the core challenges that universities face in transforming to be more responsive to needs; and the final section six provides recommendations on reforms and investments to strengthen higher education in Africa.

This book, consisting of 17 chapters, focuses on clarifying the challenges, issues, and priorities of Agricultural Education and Training (AET) in sub-Saharan Africa, and provides suggestions for practical solutions that can help guide organisations interested in furthering AET for agricultural development on the continent. It discusses the African context within which a transformed AET system needs to be located; analyses African and international experiences that are relevant to identified AET needs and challenges; dissects AET models that may hold important lessons; and addresses the main critical issues that will impact upon AET in sub-Saharan Africa. The concluding chapter synthesises the ideas, experiences, and evidence from the preceding chapters in order to highlight critical issues for success as well as possible solutions. The book is uniquely positioned to add to a call to action on AET, to pull together state-of-the-art knowledge from within and outside sub-Saharan Africa, and to advance “out of the box” thinking about the principles, values and character of AET for development, with an emphasis on the models that can help to cultivate leaders and change-makers at all levels of the agricultural sector.

Enormous changes are affecting African production agriculture, urbanization, and food consumption patterns, requiring new approaches to training and knowledge generation and dissemination to achieve food security. Many agricultural universities and other tertiary agricultural education (TAE) organizations have been slow to respond, hindered by inadequate staffing and facilities and growing competition for funds. However, some African agricultural universities are transforming themselves and are achieving remarkable success. This book documents successful approaches to remaking TAE in Africa to inspire leaders, both formal and informal, of other TAE organizations. It emphasises adaptive strategies and processes creating an internal culture driven by stakeholder needs and where organizational transformation improves the quality and relevance of teaching, research, and outreach. The chapters cover the role of TAE in agricultural transformation, trends in TAE in Africa, solutions to the rigour-versus-relevance dilemma, curriculum design informed by actual and emerging labour market conditions, innovation and entrepreneurship, TAE quality assurance, and networking among TAE institutions.