PhD Program for African Students Launched
September 21, 2007| |
A research and education partnership was created to promote the manpower capability in science and technology for the people of Africa. The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) is partnering with the University of Ghana, Legon, for the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI); and with the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa for the African Centre for Crop Improvement (ACCI). Both programs will train 120 PhD plant breeders who will serve as the critical mass of scientists to help end Africa's food crisis. “These programs will bridge a wide gap in African scientific capacity, by training African plant breeders in African universities to improve and adapt the indigenous and orphan crops needed to meet Africa’s food needs,” said Joseph DeVries, Director of AGRA’s Programme for Africa’s Seed Systems.
The students will be tasked to develop strategies for conquering malnutrition and hunger in Africa. These future crop breeders should develop high-yielding, hardy, and nutritious varieties of African crops adapted to the wide range of conditions and constraints faced by Africa's small scale farmers. African staple crops cassava, sorghum, millet, plantain, and cowpea will be the priority crops for improvement.
Cornell University in New York joins the partnership and is tasked to provide services and resources for curriculum design, assessing research capacity and reviewing dissertation proposals.
The full report can be accessed at: http://www.agra-alliance.org/news/pr091707.html
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