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BACKGROUND
The University of Zambia
has been providing postgraduate training in Agronomy
to students within the SADC region since the year
1987. To date over 110 graduates have been trained.
These graduates have come from countries such as
Botswana, Angola, Mozambique, Swaziland, Lesotho,
Zimbabwe and the host country Zambia. Graduates from
our training programme continue to provide an
important role in the quest for enhanced food
security.
SUPPORT FROM ROCKEFELLER
FOUNDATION TO UNZA
In Southern Africa the
high staff turnover in many national agricultural
programs has ben recognized as a serious problem. The
cause included staff retirement, movement to more
lucrative administrative positions, private sector,
NGOs; mortality and cumbersome staff recruitment
procedures. Ultimately many crop improvement programs
have had severely denuded staffing levels. The
importance of crop improvement in combating food and
income deficits was recognized. The current
accelerated training of MSc plant breeding is an
effort to redress those poor staffing levels.
The University of Zambia
with the assistance of the Regional office of the
International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT)
in Harare was granted financial support for its
Masters of Science regional training programme. The
support started in 2003 with the admission of six
candidates for a two year MSc. Degree.
The goal
The project proposed to
provide over a period of three years MSc. training to
at least 12 National Program breeders in the SADC
region, using local MSc. training capacities at the
University of Zambia (UNZA) and the University of
Zimbabwe (UZ).
A minimum of 50% of the
students would conduct their research thesis on
resilient crops for water limited environment, given
that this was a high priority for the SDAC region. The
project extended for a minimum of second phase pending
evaluation by the donor in the second year.
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