Call for Nominations

GCHERA WORLD AGRICULTURE PRIZE 2014 - Deadline 3 May 2014

Facilitated by the National Research Foundation (NRF), South Africa has formally established the South African Agriculture and Life Sciences Deans’ Association (SAALSDA) on 7 March 2014. The formalization of this association positions the country to respond to critical developments and proactively advocate in the dynamic environment of agricultural development continentally and globally. These dynamics are contextualized by inter alia the African Union Commission’s (AUC) announcement of 2014 as the Year of Agriculture and Food Security, the development of a Science Agenda for African Agriculture (SA3), coordinated by the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), and the Academy of Sciences for South Africa’s (ASSAf) recently commissioned consensus study on revitalizing agricultural education and training (AET) in South Africa.

South Africa is now recognised as a member of the Global Confederation of Higher Education Associations for Agricultural and Life Science (GCHERA). GCHERA’s mission is to encourage mutual understanding and global cooperation of the higher educational associations and their institutions in supporting innovation and providing leadership in education, research and outreach in agricultural and life sciences. Current members of GCHERA include associations and networks from Africa, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Central America, Central Asia, China, Europe, India, Mexico, the Middle East, Russian speaking countries, and the United States (http://www.gchera.com/gchera-board/gchera-members/).

A call for nominations for the GCHERA World Agriculture Prize 2014 has been announced, awarded to an academic/staff member from a higher education institution working in the disciplines relating to the agricultural and life sciences in recognition of the academic/staff member's lifetime achievements.

A nominee will demonstrate exceptional and significant achievement in his or her engagement in the mission of higher education institutions relating to agricultural and life sciences – in education, research and innovation. This impact will most likely be demonstrated in the work of the nominee in the development of the institution(s) in which the nominee has served, and in the local and wider geographical region of those institution(s), but not necessarily globally.

Nominators/ nominees should refer to the Terms and Conditions for submitting a nomination for the prize (attached), and register at www.gchera-wap.org

Please note:

·         This is a lifetime achievement award. Informed by experience of the 2013 nominees, it is unlikely that individuals under the age of 60 years will meet the minimum criteria. 

·         Kindly inform the NRF of the nominations submitted online by 3 May, to enable coordination and confirmation of the South African nominations with the GCHERA Secretariat.

For any additional information, please contact:

Dr Aldo Stroebel

Executive Director

International Relations and Cooperation

National Research Foundation

aldo.stroebel@nrf.ac.za

Issued by the University Research Office