Agriculture e-learning hub goes live

An e-learning hub for African universities mooted by the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in 2017 is now operational, offering more than 35 member universities from across Africa access to free content intended to enhance the teaching of agriculture.

The hub will enable students, staff and researchers in universities to access free online learning material, providing them with up-to-date quality material on subject areas such as sustainable food systems, food and nutrition security, responsible governance to secure tenure rights and equitable access to land, fisheries and forests, among others.

The RUFORUM-FAO e-learning hub for African universities will also offer material on climate-smart agriculture, food losses and waste, food safety, social protection and resilience, child labour, gender equity and women empowerment, and responsible agriculture investments.

“As a RUFORUM member, you are invited to visit the RUFORUM-FAO e-learning hub, assess the offer and match the various courses to your existing university learning programmes being regularly offered through your academic institution or university,” said a statement by RUFORUM.

The content, developed by experts in various fields for learners from Africa and across the globe, will be delivered in major international languages used in Africa, including English, French, Portuguese and Spanish.

It comprises a mixture of multimedia content, targeted learning strategies, dynamic screens, interactive tests, and exercises with feedback and illustrative case studies, that help to make complex topics accessible to both new and more experienced learners wishing to update their skills in a way that is not covered by the traditional university curriculum.

It will be easy to use and integrate with other online learning content offered by universities but is also for those that do not provide any form of online learning.

In 2017 the FAO and RUFORUM conceived of the idea – now a reality – of making free content available to students, researchers and staff aimed at enhancing the capacity of graduates to meet the changing demands of the agricultural sector on the continent.