Towards a Confederation 2011
Representatives of the World Agricultural Higher Education Community meet at FAO to move GCHERA to a Confederation
The President of GCHERA, Philippe Choquet, invited the Global Regional University Associations related to agriculture & the Life sciences (Asia, Africa, United States, etc..) to reflect on the need to organize themselves into a confederation as a prerequisite to address global challenges.
The Representatives of these associations met in Rome under the auspices of the Office of the Exchange of Knowledge, Research and Extension at FAO in January 10 & 11, 2011. The purpose of this meeting was mainly to define and agree definitive proposals to move GCHERA to a Confederation of Regional University Associations relating to agricultural and life sciences.
The need for such an organization is indeed confirmed with regard to the importance of Higher Education and Research in Agriculture, in conjunction with the challenges of the 21st century such as:
- Food security and increasing world population in a market increasingly globalized
- Climate change and its impact on agricultural production
- The global environmental challenges and alternative biomass (in competition with food production)
The delegates signed the following communiqué:
“We the undersigned met in Rome on the 10 and 11 January 2011 to discuss the future development of GCHERA. We support the proposal that GCHERA should develop as a Confederation of Regional Associations of Higher Education Institutions relating to the Agricultural and Life Sciences. We agreed the mission of the Confederation is to encourage mutual understanding and global co-operation of the Regional Associations and their institutions in supporting innovation, and providing leadership in education, research and outreach.
We agreed to take back the proposals to discuss within our own organisations. We encourage the GCHERA Secretariat to promote this development to attract other Regional University Associations to join this initiative.
We agreed that the finalised proposal for change should be put to the GCHERA Executive Committee on 26 June 2011 and to the assembly attending the 7th GCHERA Conference on 29 June 2011 in Beauvais, France.”
Officials of the organizations represented personally committed to discuss this project of confederation within their respective associations.
The validation process should be held in a general assembly, on the occasion of the 7th world conference of GCHERA, promoted by A.P.L.U., ICA, AGRINATURA and hosted by the “Polytechnic Institute LaSalle Beauvais”.
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See the presentations of the Regional University associations :
- AAACU : Asian Association of Agricultural Colleges and Universities
Dr Eun Woo PARK – President : presentation…
- ANAFE : African Network for Agriculture, Agroforestory and Natural Resources Education
Aissetou Yaye DRAME – Executive Secretary : presentation…
- A.P.L.U : Association of State and Land-Grant Universities
Ian MAW – Vice President, Board of Agriculture : presentation…
- CAC : Central Asia and (South) Caucuses (CAC) agricultural University Consortium
Alim PULATOV – Head of EcoGIS center : presentation…
- CIS : Rectors’ Council of the Leading Agrarian Higher Education Institutions of Commonwealth of Independent States
Dr Vladimir BAUTIN : presentation…
- EPC of CAASS : Education Professional Committee (EPC), of the Chinese Association of Agricultural Science Societies (CAASS)
Dr Zhimin LIU – President : presentation…
- IAUA : Indian Agricultural Universities Association
Dr Riksh Pal SINGH – Secretary General : presentation…
- ICA : Association for European Life Science Universities
Dr Simon HEATH – Secretary General : presentation…
- AGRINATURA : The European Alliance on Agricultural Knowledge for Development
Dr Didier PILLOT – President : presentation…
- National Consortium of Presidents/Deans of Higher Education for Agriculture, China
Dr Ping WU – Vice President : presentation…
- RUFORUM : Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture
Dr Adipala EKWAMU – Executive Secretary & Dr Moses Osiru – Deputy Executive Secretary : presentation
Last updating : 1 March 2011