Internship Opportunity: Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D) Programme

Background

The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), an international organization based in Wageningen, The Netherlands, has an opening for an intern for a period of 6 months, renewable only once. The intern will work as a member of the CTA Communications Services Team.

CTA’s mandate puts emphasis on facilitating access, exchange and dissemination of information in the fields of agriculture and rural development. The Communications Services Department plays a critical role in the realization of the above. CTA envisages increased activity output in the area of ICT for development.

The intern will assist in supporting the ARDYIS (Agriculture, Rural Development and Youth in the Information Society) project and in other ICT for rural development activities for ACP countries.

Duties

Under the guidance and supervision of the relevant ICT4D Programme Coordinator, the intern will perform the following tasks:

1. “Agriculture, Rural Development and Youth in the Information Society” Project:

a. Animation of web 2.0 spaces (Facebook, Twitter, etc.);

b. Animation of the website of the project (based on the Joomla CMS) ;

c. Contribution to the facilitation of the youth network;

d. Assistance in the relation to youth project implementation (organization of competitions, workshop, training, etc.)

2. Contribution to other ICT for development activities:

a. Support for the implementation of activities on ICTs in agricultural value chains

b. Assistance for the organization of web2.0 training

c. Other tasks as requested by the supervisor or the Department Manager

Qualifications and Experience

• Recent graduate, 22-29 years of age;
• Graduate from university or a similar institution of higher education in agriculture, sociology, information and communication or related field;
• Knowledge of issues related to ICT for development;
• Experience in website update; the knowledge of the Content Management System Joomla is a plus but not mandatory (training can be provided to the intern);
• Familiarity with African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries is a plus;
• Thorough knowledge of one of the Centre's two working languages (French or English) and a satisfactory knowledge of the other working language of the Centre;
• Strong computer skills;
• Excellent communications, interpersonal skills and organizational skills;
• National of either one European Union member state or of one of the 78 ACP states.

Internship Details

• Start date: November 2012;
• Duration: 6 months (renewable once);
• Location: Wageningen, The Netherlands;
• Medical coverage is provided for the duration of the internship;
• International travel, if required, will not be covered by CTA;
• Internship stipend.

Participation in CTA activities will give you an invaluable experience at the international level.

Application procedure

Qualifying candidates are invited to forward before 18 September 2012

• One-page motivational letter explaining why he/she qualifies for this position;
• Curriculum Vitae;
• Scanned copies of academic qualifications;
• Two letters of recommendations and / or references.

Interested candidates should submit the documents listed above to intern@cta.int (with copy to ardyis-project@cta.int) and enter the following text in the email subject field: [ict4d internship application]

More information on CTA:

Mr. J-C. Burguet

CTA - Head of Administration & Human Resource Department

Ref. HRD

PO Box 380

6700 AJ Wageningen

Tel: +31 (0) 317 467100

The Netherlands

Email: burguet@cta.int

Source: CTA

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Ivorian agricultural scientists open up their research

Dear readers: An initiative to to be inspired from!

[ABIDJAN] More than a dozen agricultural research institutes in Côte d'Ivoire have agreed to open up access to their research results and raise farmers' awareness of their work through a shared online platform. 

The aim is to increase the uptake of new and existing technologies and research findings, and eventually to boost agricultural production in the country and West African region.
The creation of the platform was agreed in May, and a planning workshop was held in Grand Bassam, Côte d'Ivoire, last month (19-20 July). It was attended by researchers and other stakeholders, including ministry officials and science communicators, who exchanged experiences on the best ways to disseminate research results. 

According to Pierre Ackah Angniman, executive director of the Interprofessional Fund for Agricultural Research and Counseling (FIRCA) — the organisation that will fund and run the research platform — scientists have decided to set up a national database of research results and technologies to improve research openness and popularisation.

They have also agreed to coordinate the outreach activities of different agricultural organisations.
Angniman told SciDev.Net that a committee will shortly be created to manage the platform and to work on raising awareness of existing agricultural technologies. 

"It's a matter of enlisting the help of professional agricultural organisations, which can help us convey messages efficiently to farmers, so that they can implement [research findings] that may boost their productivity and also allow them to increase their incomes," said Germain N'dri, a researcher at the University of Abobo-Adjamé in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. 

N'dri said that each participating research institute will be provided with a communication officer to support the project. 

He also explained that the platform will be integrated with existing initiatives managed by the Economic Community of West African States and implemented by the World Bank's West African Agricultural Productivity Program, which is working to disseminate research findings in the region.
Justin Koudougnon, an agricultural research engineer based in Côte d'Ivoire, said the establishment of a common system of information and communication on agricultural technologies is a strong initiative, and should lead to the better communication of research results to farmers.

"In Africa, the agricultural sector's low productivity is mainly due to the weak adoption of available technology, and the inefficiency or lack of mastery of technological resources," Koudougnon commented.

By:

Théodore Kouadio

14 August 2012

From: http://www.scidev.net

University of Mauritius Vacancy: Research Assistant (Faculty of Agriculture)

Post: RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Applications are invited from suitably qualified candidates for the post of Research Assistant on the project entitled “Potential of local seaweed resources as alternative feed ingredients in pig diets” funded by the Mauritius Research Council Solicited Research Grant Scheme.

The recruitment and appointment will be on an assignment basis for a period of 3 months as from 1 September 2012.

Applicants should have a good Honours Degree in Agriculture or related fields.

Preference will be given to candidates who:

• Have knowledge in seaweeds and animal feed analysis and formulation
• Are computer literate and have good communication skills

The position carries a fixed, all-inclusive monthly salary of Rs 20,000.

Applications accompanied by a detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV) should reach the undersigned by Tuesday 21 August 2012.

Assoc Prof M F Driver

Faculty of Agriculture; University of Mauritius

Réduit

Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. Only the best candidates will be called for an interview. The University reserves the right not to make any appointment as a result of this advertisement.

Source: University of Mauritius

YPARD Monthly Newsletter - August 2012

YPARD Monthly Newsletter - August

Monthly Newsletter This is a monthly subscription. Keep updated on YPARD on-line and off-line activities worldwide, funding and job opportunities, updates on partner news and the latest news in ARD for young professionals! This newsletter is just a small overview of what YPARD is working on and a small selection of information; visit the website regularly for more! ypard.net! Enjoy! August 2012 issue

YPARD News Is bio-economy an alternative for young people to regain interest in agriculture? The last event of the celebration of the 45th anniversary of CIAT was the so-calledWorld Cafe, organised by YPARD-LAC and ALCUE-KBBE and where participants were asked the question: Is bio-economy an alternative for young people to regain interest in agriculture? Read more Counting down before the International Youth Day (IYD) 2012! Tell us about your partnership initiatives for youth inclusion for agricultural development! On August 12, we will be celebrating the Youth on International Youth Day. The assigned theme for 2012 is: Building a Better World: Partnering with Youth, meant to celebrate and solicit action together with and for the youth! Read more "Seeing Thoughts" video contest - moving onto capturing youth stories into documentaries! We are moving onto the second and final phase of the YPARD Seeing Thoughts video contest : elaborating documentaries. Read more   Ending the Academic year with New projects for next year! - YPARD Sierra Leone's feedback As the academic year draw to an end at Njala University, the newly founded YPARD Sierra Leone local working group members have volunteered to create further sensitization in their various communities while on vacation. Statistics from our last meetings held on the 27th of June 2012 at Sierra Leone’s National Agricultural Training Centre (NATC) and on the 28th of June 2012 at Njala university main campus put the numerical strength of our membership at 75. We have 30 members at NATC and 45 at Njala main campus. Read more   "Yes, agriculture offers great career opportunities! YPARD community can prove it!" by YPARD in WFO's newsletter of July, 2012 YPARD had the opportunity to publish an article in World Farmers Organization's newsletter of July. Featuring testimonials from YPARD Community: Arthur Chinsman William, Nawsheen Hosenally, Machteld Schoolendberg, Olawale Ojo, Michael Kwabena  Read more   "A youth outlook on skill gaps in high agricultural education", by YPARD in WFO's newsletter of June, 2012 YPARD had the opportunity to publish an article in World Farmers Organization's newsletter of June. We showcased the study we conducted on youth skills required by Today's generation in agriculture. (p.17)   Read more   YPARD Community Blog FANRPAN Youth Case Studies Twitter Campaign starting on 1st August 2012! Read more Web 2.0 Learning Opportunity in Mauritius, 9-13 July 2012 Read more Some tips to new Agriculture Graduates on the job market Yesterday evening, I opened my Facebook page and could not miss the status updates of my friends of the Faculty of Agriculture who passed their final year exams and are going to graduate soon... Read more   YP of the Month Natalia Lozano, from Peru!     Working with small-scale farmers in Peru When I was a child, my grandfather always talked about his life in Santiago de Chuco – a village located in the highlands of Peru - and how much he wished he hadn’t left it. As a lot of people, my grandparents had to travel to a major city (Trujillo, capital of La Libertad)... Read more Featured News ARDYIS events in Johannesburg, South Africa, 20-23 May 2012 - All the resources On the occasion of the 2012 Conference of the African Chapter of the International Association of Agricultural Information Specialists (IAALD) the ARDYIS project organized a series of activities, which took place from 20 to 23 May in Johannesburg, South Africa. Read more   The Market Opportunity for Mobile Agriculture: Highlights from Mobile World Congress 2012 Read more   Events BioVision.Nxt 2013, application by Nov 15th BioVision.Nxt 2013 24-26 March, Lyon, France Registration for BioVision.Nxt 2013 is Now Open The World Life Sciences Forum, BioVision, invites 100 promising PhD students and postdoctoral researchers to attend the 3-day forum, BioVision.Nxt, which will be held on 24-26 March in Lyon, France Read more   AISA Young Graduates and Scholars (AYGS) Conference 2013 The Africa Institute of South Africa’s  (AISA)  Young Graduates  Scholars (AYGS) Conference will be held with the theme 2050 – Africa’s future on the horizon: Prospects and challenges for development from  Read more Opportunities ILRI vacancy: communication specialist – CCAFS East Africa Deadline:  13 Aug 2012 Vacancy Number: CS/CCAFS/07/12 Department: Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) Location: Nairobi, Kenya Duration: 2-year contract Renewable Read more Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA): Calls for Proposals with Deadlines in August 2012 Deadline:  10 Aug 2012 ASARECA makes research grants to improve agricultural productivity in Eastern and Central Africa. It invites research in the following topics, all of which have August deadlines for concept notes: Read more

Source: YPARD

YPARD Funding News Bulletin - 3rd August 2012

Latest funding opportunities

Funding News Bulletin This bulletin provides twice a month information about available funding opportunities which are posted on the www.ypard.net website. If you have any comment or question about this information service, please contact the YPARD Team at info@ypard.net. Latest funding opportunities

Bioversity International -- Abdou-Salam Ouédraogo Fellowship 2012, Deadline extended Deadline:  05 Aug 2012 This fellowship offers up to US$10 thousand for research on conservation of genetic resources of forest tree species in two priority topics: Read more Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA): Calls for Proposals with Deadlines in August 2012 Deadline:  10 Aug 2012 ASARECA makes research grants to improve agricultural productivity in Eastern and Central Africa. It invites research in the following topics, all of which have August deadlines for concept notes: Read more International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie): Systematic Review Call 5 Deadline:  31 Aug 2012 3ie invites proposals for systematic reviews to strengthen evidence-based policy making related to development issues and strategies. Read more AWARD: African Women in Agricultural Research and Development 2012 Deadline:  07 Sep 2012 Read more African Union: Kwame Nkrumah Scientific Award 2012 Deadline:  08 Sep 2012 The African Union (AU) honors outstanding African scientists through the Kwame Nkrumah Scientific Awards for fields that include agricultural sciences, environmental sciences, and energy innovation (among others). The program seeks to recognize outstanding science at the continental level. The Continental Scientific Award carries a prize value of US$100 thousand. Read more CRDF Global: GIST Technology Idea Competition Deadline:  24 Sep 2012 Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) supports innovators, scientists, and entrepreneurs from eligible countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia to participate in the GIST Tech-I Competition. GIST seeks innovative ideas that have potential to become technology solutions to critical problems in agriculture, energy, ICT, and related areas. Read more Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC): Post-Graduate Studies in Climate Change 2013-2014 Deadline:  30 Sep 2012 The IPCC Scholarship Program builds capacity in the understanding and management of climate change in developing countries. The program is open to PhD-level students at recognized educational institutions who are younger than age 30. Proposals should address: Read more Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Netherlands Fellowship Programs Deadline:  02 Oct 2012 The Netherlands Fellowship Programs (NFP) provide training and education in the Netherlands for mid-career professionals from 61 developing countries. Read more Obama-Singh 21st Century Knowledge Initiative: USA-India Science Collaboration Deadline:  01 Nov 2012 The United States - India Educational Foundation (USIEF) supports partnerships between U.S. and Indian institutions of higher education to strengthen collaboration and build partnerships. Proposals in the following fields are eligible: Read more EC Erasmus Mundus: PhD Research in Agricultural Development at European Universities, AGTRAIN 2013 Deadline:  01 Nov 2012 Six European universities collaborate to offer the program Agricultural Transformation by Innovation (AGTRAIN): Read more

Source: YPARD

Web 2.0 Learning Opportunity in Mauritius: Closing Ceremony and Award of Certificates

The closing ceremony and award of certificates of the Web 2.0 Learning Opportunity in Mauritius was held on 27th July 2012 at the Lecture Theatre 2 of the New Academic Complex, University of Mauritius. Present at the ceremony were the Pro-Chancellor and Vice Chancellor of the University of Mauritius, the acting Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, representative from the  Food and Agricultural Research Council (FARC), various stakeholders from agricultural institutions and the 50 participants who were trained in 2 batches from 9-13 July and 23-27 July respectively.

The ceremony started at 14:30 with the opening address from the acting dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Dr. S.J.Santchurn, who welcomed the audience and called on stage Mr. K.Boodhoo, the lead trainer of the workshops to present the outcomes of the Web 2.0 Learning Opportunity in Mauritius.

Opening Address by the Acting Dean of FOA

Examples of how the workshop participants have started to use web 2.0 tools were presented by Mr. K.Boodhoo. He explained to the audience that during the 2 workshops, 50 blogs have been created by participants and some of these blogs were showcased. The wiki of the Mauritius Breadfruit Sector Consortium was also shown to demonstrate how such a platform (which is a web 2.0 tool) can enable remote collaboration in a multi-stakeholder partnership. 

Address by Mr. K.Boodhoo

This was followed by a video projection on participants' experience at the Web 2.0 Learning opportunity: 

One of the web 2.0 tools that the workshop participants found interesting and useful to them in their work was Google Maps. Participants who were trained in the first batch (9-13 July 2012) had started to use Google Maps and 2 examples were given.

The first example was a Google Map created by Mr. R. Bedacee, a livestock Extension Officer at the Agricultural Research and Extension Unit (AREU). The Google map shows pig farms that have been mapped in the North-East region of Mauritius. Details that are available on the map are number of farmers, number of pigs, number of pigs ready for market etc. and this information may be useful to many stakeholders in the pig sector (input suppliers, producers, processors, policy makers, retailers/wholesalers, research, extension etc.). This map can be accessible on this Link: Google Map of Pig Farms.

Mr. Sembhoo presenting the Google Map of Pig farms

Another interesting example was given by Mr. Yash Ramdharee of the Mauritius Cane Industry Authority, who is working in collaboration with Mr. R.Ramburn of the Irrigation Authority on a project to monitor and evaluate irrigated sugarcane crop at St. Felix. 

Mr. Y.Ramdharee during his presentation

More information on this project can be found in the following presentation:

After the insightful presentation by the workshop participants, Mr. C.Sembhoo, the co-trainer of the workshop highlighted that these examples are from people who have been trained for just 5 days and the projects being presented are on a pilot basis, but these web 2.0 tools should be integrated in our work at institutional level and the Coherence in Information for Agricultural Research for Development (CIARD) movement (which is working to make agricultural research information publicly available and accessible to all) should be followed.

Mr. K.Boodhoo thanked CTA, FOA, FARC and all people involved in making the Web 2.0 Learning opportunity in Mauritius possible.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Mauritius, Prof. S.Rughooputh started his speech by going through the outcomes of the workshop and he thanked CTA for making the Web 2.0 training possible in Mauritius. He was very enthusiastic about integrating web 2.0 tools in the University curriculum and announced that a blogging competition may be launched at National level during the University of Mauritius Research Week 2012. 

The Vice-Chancellor during his speech

The Pro-Chancellor of the University of Mauritius, Prof. S.Jugessur stressed upon the fact that we are not food-secured in Mauritius and there is a need to produce our food locally, especially staples. According to him, we are now becoming more knowledge-based and should be able to transfer this knowledge in Agriculture among institutions and to the farming community through  web 2.0 tools. One very interesting statement he made was that "Today children are not interested in Agriculture. They think the milk that they consume comes from the fridge". The Pro-Chancellor ended his speech by saying that we will take the children back to the farm, equip them with the right tools and they will contribute to food security and wealth of the country. With this, he officially closed the Web 2.0 Learning Opportunity in Mauritius and Certificates were awarded to the 50 participants of the 2 workshops.

Participant receiving his certificate from the Pro-Chancellor

After the award of certificate, the participants gave a gift to the trainers of the workshop and refreshments were served.

The web 2.0 Learning Opportunity has been a wonderful experience for participants, trainers and the organisers, but the success will depend on how we are going to use these tools in our daily activities to contribute to Agricultural Development!

Please find all pictures of the workshop from 23-27 July 2012 in the following Slideshow:

A new information resource for the Indian Ocean: the Bio & Agri Portal

From CIRAD - Sophie Della Mussia

The islands of the Indian Ocean have launched, under the auspices of the IOC (with support from the CIRAD and financial support from Europe, the French & Réunion Government) a new information resource on the web: the Indian Ocean Biodiversity & Agriculture portal.

It's finally here - the Bio & Agri OI Web Portal is now open to business, where you can discover more about the natural and agricultural heritage of the islands of the Indian Ocean. This region is one of the world's biodiversity hotspots, and each of the five member states of the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), - Comoros, Reunion, Madagascar, Mauritius and the Seychelles - have pledged to preserve this biodiversity.

Promoting agro-ecology

In order to safeguard our biodiversity, members of the Indian Ocean agricultural community have agreed to adopt more environmentally friendly policies.
"These new policies are basically equitable management of natural resources, to improve soil fertility, protect crops against pests and improve irrigation and using fewer resources, while maintaining a satisfactory level of production. This is the challenge of today’s agro-ecology, and the main concern of national authorities will be to address climate change," says Tahina Rakotondralambo, coordinator of the Regional Agro-ecology & Climate Change Initiative (IRACC), launched by the IOC and financed by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). This will enable farmers to better cope with droughts, overcome the difficulty for islanders of obtaining supplies, so as to enhance their autonomy. Aims also include avoiding resource depletion. These are the practices the IOC member states have pledged to promote.

A new way of exchanging information

The Bio & Agri OI web portal is part of this initiative. The address of the portal is http://agriculture-biodiversite-oi.org, and is designed for :

• Professionals in agriculture and the environment, who are invited to share their successful experiences in agro-ecology.
• Scientists, who will publicize their successes;
• States, who will share their agricultural and environmental policy ideas;
• Anyone curious about the natural and agricultural heritage of the Indian Ocean;
• The press