The purpose of this paper is to discuss the role of agricultural tertiary education institutions in view of the increasing demand for quality tertiary education, escalated numbers of applicants, dwindling resources, and escalating cost of educational materials. This paper is theoretical based and draws lessons from a four-sector of the provision of education at secondary/high school, teacher training education, technical and vocational training (TVET), and tertiary education in Swaziland. Desk research and interviews of selected university administrators in Swaziland were employed to gather more data. Ten aspects were identified and formed the basis for discussions. Findings from the desk research along with the interviews of selected administrators, revealed that universities as centres of higher learning should be given highest support by placing them on the policy agenda, given enough resources to engage in full operation, conduct outreach programmes, constantly review their curricula in order to be more responsive to national needs, and prepare strategic plans to guide the operation of the University. It is recommended that all universities as centres of higher learning should conduct the three traditional functions: teaching, research and outreach and work closely with private sector/industry in order to nurture a healthy relationship.

1. PLACING AGRICULTURAL
TERTIARY EDUCATION IN THE
POLICY AGENDA
By
Qand’elihle G. S. N. Simelane, PhD
Musa M. A. Dube, PhD
Senior Lecturer
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION & EXTENSION
UNIVERSITY OF SWAZILAND
FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE
A paper presented at the Ministerial Conference on Agriculture in Africa
held from 13-19 November 2010 in Kampala, Uganda

2. BACKGROUND
• In Africa, over 70% of the people live in the rural
areas and most of these derive livelihoods from
agriculture, and poverty is widespread (World Bank,
2010).
• Many countries do not adhere to the 10% budget
allocation according to the Maputo Declaration
• Africa holds 60% of the world’s uncultivated land
with the potential, to increase yields by more than
three fold by 2030.
• Africa faces formidable challenges, such as
HIV/AIDS, conflict, and climate change associated
with endemic food insecurity.

3. Economic Significance of the
Agricultural Sector
Agriculture represents 50-60% of the total economy in
some countries, (Guinea Bissau, Ethiopia and Central
Africa) and 20-40% in sub Saharan Africa
Agriculture contributes:
≥40% of exports
30% of GDP
≤ 30% of foreign
exchange earnings
70 to 80% of
employment

4. WHY AFRICAN FARMERS FAIL
Heated debate on the web, triggered by an article in the
Southern Times and of the same title as above.
Many blame farmers for failing to apply modern farming
techniques, hence the poor yields and failure by African
countries to feed their citizens.
Food and agricultural experts attribute failure to lack of
investment in the agriculture sector.
There is a disconnect between research agenda and
public interest.
Researchers, policy makers and practioners have
different values and dynamics, and handle evidence in
different ways.

5. PLACING AGRICULTURAL
TERTIARY EDUCATION
• Tertiary education provides high level knowledge
workers and research based knowledge
essential for knowledge driven growth.
• Results from agricultural research must inform
and shape policies and programmes, and be
adopted into practice for the research to
guarantee agricultural development in the
continent.
• Considerable social and economic development
can accrue from investment in knowledge,
especially science and technology.

6. CONSIDERATIONS FOR PLACING
AGRICULTURAL TERTIARY
EDUCATION
• The Curriculum Review Process
• Integration of Entrepreneurial Training
• Integration of ICT in Agriculture Training
• Monitoring and Evaluation
• Staff Recruitment and Training
• Exploitation of University Human Resources
• Funding of Agricultural Tertiary Institutions
• Appreciate the emergence of private universities
• Strategic plan for staff development

7. 1. THE CURRICULUM REVIEW
PROCESS
Curriculum design and development
needs to respond to the needs of
agriculture clientele, in terms of relevance
and timeliness
 Target globalisation of the curriculum
 Aim at attaining a balance between theory and
practical exercises
 Diversify learning experiences through classroom
lessons and internships; field classes or field
attachment

8. 2. ENTREPRENEURIAL
TRAINING
• Agriculture is a business; hence, university training
needs to expose graduates to self employment and
agribusiness skills.
• Entrepreneurial skills vital to enhance the abilities of
farmers to recognize and evaluate new opportunities and
to use farm based resources in the exploitation of new,
often non-agricultural markets.
• Graduate unemployment, and underemployment,
represent wasteful expenditure of scarce resources.
• Both graduate unemployment, and underemployment
are devastating phenomena in the lives of graduates,
and are definite indicators of institutional ineffectiveness
and inefficiency.

9. 3. ICT IN AGRICULTURE
TRAINING
Information and Communication Technology applied
for processing, exchanging and managing data,
information and knowledge.
Main applications of ICT in Agriculture include:
Application of office automation
Application of Knowledge Management System
Application of E-commerce and E-learning
Application of ICT for managing Agricultural Resources and
Services
Application of CAD and CAM
Application of Wireless Technologies
Application of GPS and GIS
Application of Computer controlled devices (Automated systems)

10. 4. MONITORING AND
EVALUATION
Necessary to ensure and insure quality
control (quality assurance)
Must consider curriculum relevance and
effectiveness
Employment statistics hence are vital to
the evaluation of university training

11. 5. STAFF RECRUITMENT
Objectives
• obtaining the number and quality of
employees that can be selected in
order to help the organisation to
achieve its goals and objectives.
• creating a pool of prospective
employees for the organisation, at
minimum cost
• creating the competitive strength and
the recruitment strategic advantage for
the organisations
Stages in the recruitment process
• Identify vacancy
• Prepare job description and person specification
• Advertising the vacancy
• Managing the response
• Short-listing
• Arrange interviews
• Conducting interview and decision making

12. 6. EXPLOITATION OF UNIVERSITY
HUMAN RESOURCES
Universities have a pool or reservoir of
experts in diverse fields, with a repertoire
of unique expertise, skills and experience.
Develop and maintain linkages with
industry
Links to industry help enrich classroom
instruction and are necessary to inform
formative curriculum evaluation and hence
instruct curriculum reform.

13. 7. FUNDING OF AGRICULTURAL
TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS
The per capita cost of tertiary education is
generally high.
Investment in this sector often benefits a
few.
Funding is necessary for facilities and
equipment; instructional materials;
infrastructure development; monitoring
new programmes and scholarships, as
well as research grants.

14. Can we bridge the
technological divide?
Global expenditure on R&D, 2000 (UNESCO)
350
300
250
N. America
200 Asia
150 Europe
Africa
100
50
0
$ billion %GDP
equivalents (Europe = 1.7%)

15. Science within societies
Researchers per million people
4500
4000
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
USA Belgium China Malaysia Uganda
…Compounded by scientific diaspora

16. Economic development:
Knowledge transformed into goods &
services
Europe: Strong business
Source of R&D funds (%)
investment, yet public
mistrust of outcomes 100
Can Africa emulate Asia? 80
Speed of tech. change traps 60
countries in low growth
40
Foreign direct investment
20
alone cannot drive development
(UN Millennium Project 2005) 0
Belgium China Uganda
Huge support need in linking
innovation & enterprise Business Govt Abroad
development UNESCO, 1999 data

17. 8. THE ROLE OF
AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITIES
Universities perform three
essential functions; Opinion based
teaching, research and policy and
practice
extension/ community
outreach.
There is an increasingly Evidence based
powerful expectation that policy and
practice
rigorous, replicable,
relevant, and
independent research After Muir Gray (1997)
should make an important
contribution to the
evidence base for action/
policy

18. 9. THE EMERGENCE OF
PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES
Have an agenda that is at variance with and
therefore not the same or similar to that of
traditional/public universities
Private universities are profit driven hence
dissimilar to the traditional/public universities
Development necessitates policy interventions
may address the following issues:
What is a university?
Who should teach at the university (qualification and
performance standards)?
What standards are to be expected of a university?
Peer review mechanisms for lecturing staff

19. 10. STRATEGIC PLAN FOR
STAFF DEVELOPMENT
Guided by student and job market needs,
and based on results of a
research/teaching staff assessment or
peer review exercise
Innovation necessary to localise
assessment exercise to recognise the
extension and community outreach role of
academics.

20. CONCLUSIONS
Progress depends on much more than enabling
farmers to increase output and establishing a
stable economy.
The role of the state will be essential – directly,
through agricultural research and development,
but also indirectly.
Research scientists and academicians target
patents, copyrights and publications in
esteemed international journals but not matters
of national and public interest

21. RECOMMENDATIONS
Technology robust evidence
The paper for effective policy making
calls for policy Agricultural research that will
initiatives, inform and shape policies and
agricultural development
interventions programmes
and Development of appropriate
investments in low cost technologies to
stimulate agricultural
research that production
targets:

22. Overcoming the innovation barriers – why
isn’t science of greater value in
development?
• Because we over-institutionalize innovation and fail
to reconcile scientific and societal trust systems
• Because we under-resource pro-poor scientific
applications and innovation flows/brokerage
• Because ‘northern’ models & institutions shape,
dictate and distort ‘southern’ needs & processes
• Because we create science-based rules &
standards that further disenfranchise the poorest

23. How can we bridge the
innovation domains?
• Community-centred, not
technology-centred thinking
• Innovative knowledge access
& transformation systems
• Stakeholders learning
& innovating together,
managing benefits & risks
• Institutional reorientation
& changed attitudes/values
• Convergence of R&D,
education and business
policies and resources