Strengthening of Higher Education, Research and Community Outreach in Agro-Ecology in the Rwenzori Region in Western Uganda
Abstract
The Rwenzori region in Western Uganda is endowed with natural resources comprised of rich volcanic soils, reliable rainfall and an overall richness in biodiversity. Despite the huge potential, however, the Rwenzori region faces enormous challenges in an over exploitation of its natural resources: high deforestation rates and various land and water degradation processes are accompanied by high population growth rates and poverty among the majority of the rural households, which mostly are practicing traditional agricultural techniques in small-scaled subsistence farming systems for their livelihood. With the global climate change the situation is bound to deteriorate the situation. Research and higher education has been criticized not to respond to solving these actual problems. The proposed AER partnership programme therefore aims to build capacities at the Mountains of the Moon University (MMU) – a still young, community embedded institution founded in 2005 and located in the city of Fort Portal – in higher education, research and community outreach in Agro-Ecology to target these deteriorating tendencies and to enable agricultural innovations to positively impact the majority of the population in the Rwenzori Region. The key activities in capacity building comprise staff training in Agro-Ecology and natural resource management, the elaboration of a gender-mainstreaming policy, the establishment of a long term partnership and communication framework between the stakeholder communities, the establishment of an experimental farm at MMU and the development and implementation of stakeholder-driven, regionally embedded and transdisciplinary masters curriculum in Agro-ecology at MMU to form alumni who are capable in decisively contributing solutions to these challenges. All activities are based on the needs and demands of the small scaled farmer communities and the opportunities Agro-ecology provides: In a continuous learning and exchange process scientists and students become aware of the practical challenges of small scaled famers and the challenges to sustain their livelihood. A systemic understanding of the small scaled farming systems facilitates innovative solutions in research and higher education towards the current challenges.
Publikationen
Mitarbeiter*innen
Bernhard Freyer
Univ.-Prof. i.R. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.Ing. Bernhard Freyer
bernhard.freyer@boku.ac.at
Projektleiter*in
01.05.2016 - 30.11.2020
Phillipp Dietrich
Dipl.-Ing. Mag. Phillipp Dietrich
phillipp.dietrich@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-93318
Projektmitarbeiter*in
01.05.2016 - 30.11.2020
BOKU Partner
Externe Partner
Mountains of the Moon University
Dr. Moses Muhumuza
Partner